Kyle Monangai is thankful for Greg Schiano’s belief in him

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — The relationship between Kyle Monangai and Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano is undeniably a strong one. For Monangai, the relationship was born in trust when his head coach first offered him.

An offer that was among the first given out by Schiano upon his return to Rutgers football.

Part of the 2020 recruiting class that helped turn Rutgers from an also-ran into a bowl team this past season, Monangai was an offer of faith from Schiano. In a discussion with Don Bosco head coach Dan Sabella, Schiano discussed Monangai, who had just one Power Five offer at the time.

Sabella vouched for Monangai, saying that not only would the running back produce for Rutgers but that his player was a hard worker and would fit into the culture Schiano was looking to establish. It flew against the conventional wisdom of the time, with Monangai ranked as the No. 26 player in New Jersey. 

Monangai, the recruiting analysts said, was a good player. But he wasn’t a Power Five player. And his offer list backed this up with only one Power Five offer following his senior season.

Turns out, hard work and heart are difficult to rank.

This past season was a breakout for Monangai,  who ran for 163 yards and a touchdown in Rutgers’ win over Miami in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. In the regular season, Monangai led the Big Ten in rushing yards (1.099).

Monangai certainly lived up to his high school coach’s endorsement with a season that was among the best in Rutgers program history.

“Coach Schiano means the world to me just because he was the one coach that took a chance on me. I felt like I was good enough to play anywhere in the Power Five schools and none of them obviously thought so because they didn’t offer me,” Monangai told Rutgers Wire.

“But he took a chance on me and said, ‘I believe in you’ and it all paid off and I owe him the world for even giving me the opportunity.”

Now Monangai returns as the best running back in the Big…