Rutgers football extends rising star assistant coach

INDIANAPOLIS — Rutgers made a strong commitment to keep a rising coaching star on its staff this offseason.
Scott Vallone, a former star player for the Scarlet Knights who joined head coach Greg Schiano’s staff upon his return for a second stint in 2020, signed a two-year contract extension with the program through the 2025 season on June 28, according to an employment contract obtained by NJ Advance Media through an open records request.
Vallone will earn a salary of $150,000 per season — double his previous salary of $75,000 — and will receive a retention bonus of $5000 on August 15, 2023, if he remains with the program.
Listed as a quality control coach on his contract, Vallone serves as an assistant offensive line coach under Pat Flaherty, the former longtime Giants assistant who Rutgers hired this offseason. The 2023 campaign will mark the fourth of Vallone’s second stint with the Scarlet Knights, all of which spent as an assistant on the offensive side of the ball.
Along with player development, Vallone has made his mark on the recruiting trail. He was as one of the 10 coaches Rutgers had on the road recruiting in December as the Scarlet Knights rounded out their coaching staff, and he has built strong relationships with multiple key recruits in a strong 2024 class. Notably, Vallone has a good connection with four-star wide receiver commit Korey Duff Jr.; the two are from the same hometown on Long Island (Melville, New York) and Duff plays at St. Anthony’s, where Vallone was a star in his own right.
“Scott’s a great young coach, in my opinion,” Schiano said Wednesday at Big Ten Media Days. “He’s doing a great job in recruiting, a great job in just being — he loves Rutgers. Rutgers is in his blood. He came in here as a 17-year old, was a tremendous player for us and is a guy that I really trust.”
Vallone played under Schiano at Rutgers from 2008 to 2012, putting together a memorable career in Piscataway. A four-year starter, he earned First-Team All-Big East honors as a senior and finished his career with a then-program record 51 consecutive starts. After a brief professional career in the NFL and CFL, Vallone entered the coaching ranks as the defensive line coach at St. Lawrence in 2014 before spending a season his alma mater as an offensive line assistant under his former position coach Kyle Flood. He returned to St. Lawrence, was hired at Fordham in 2017 and spent three seasons there until returning to Rutgers.
In the three years since, Vallone has made himself a key part of the Scarlet Knights’ staff.
“Scott was a great player at Rutgers and he was taught by a (great) man in Coach Schiano, so his values and his coaching habits are great,” Flaherty said during spring camp. “He’s been coaching with the offensive line the last couple of years and he’s learned a lot from the previous offensive line coaches. He’s willing to learn. He’s an excellent football coach. He’s excellent around the players. He has a relationship with these players because he helped recruit them and he has given me tremendous insight.”
Here are some details of Vallone’s contract extension:
Buyout:
If Vallone terminates his contract prior to or on September 1, 2023, he will owe 100% of his then-total annual compensation ($150,000).
If Vallone terminates it after September 1, 2023, he will owe 20% of his salary ($25,000), unless he does so to accept a position on a Big Ten or SEC staff; in that case, his buyout would increase to 40% of his salary ($50,000).
“Notwithstanding the foregoing,” if Vallone terminates it after September 1, 2023, for a full-time assistant coach, coordinator or head coach position in college football or for a coaching position in the NFL, any buyout will be waived and he will owe the school nothing.
Incentives in Vallone’s contract include:
Non-New Year’s six bowl appearance: 10% of his salary
NY6 Bowl Appearance: 15%
College Football Playoff appearance: 25%
National Championship appearance: 30%
Win National Championship: 35%
Division Co-Champion: 5%
Big Ten championship game appearance: 8%
Big Ten title win: 10%