Rutgers AD Hobbs starts search for next football coach

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) - Rutgers newly appointed athletic director Patrick Hobbs is determined to hire a football coach quickly.

A day into his new job after athletic director Julie Hermann was fired on Sunday along with football coach Kyle Flood, Hobbs was working on the significant hiring.

Hobbs would not divulge any of the candidates Monday and, while he said he's working with an outside consulting firm, he would not name the company. He also said he's speaking with friends in the sports business and working with the chairman of Rutgers' Board of Governors, Ken Schmidt, during the search.

It's all new for Hobbs, who was dean emeritus of the Seton Hall University School of Law before Rutgers president Robert Barchi decided to hire him on Friday.

"No football, but I've made a lot of hires," Hobbs said. "And I've made hires where there's a lot of pressure to make hires and I'm confident I have very good people."

Hobbs knows how important recruiting in New Jersey is for football, as the state has a wealth of talent. Having New Jersey ties, however, is not going to be a requirement if the coach presents a plan on how to turn the corner in recruiting in-state.

Rutgers will be entering its third season in the Big Ten under a new head coach and Hobbs is aware of what the perception of the program is.

"Some folks might look at this and say, 'Oh that's a tough job. There are needs there.' What we need is to convince that the upside for the program is there. There's not a lot of Big Ten jobs, so the opportunity to coach against some of the best in the country - people should be interested in that."

While hiring a coach is his first priority, Hobbs said his second priority is fundraising, particularly for new facilities to compete in the Big Ten.