Chris Ash Puts an Emphasis on Recruiting

Recruiting is about relationships, and new Rutgers football head coach is making sure he lands and keeps the best high school talent in New Jersey and around the country.

In 18 seasons overall coaching in the high school football ranks, Rick Mantz owns a 113-69 record. (Chris Faytok | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Reports came out on Sunday that Rutgers will hire Rick Mantz as the high school relations director. No one on Ash’s new coaching staff so far have New Jersey ties, so nabbing one of the most respected coaches in N.J. is a smart way to go. Mantz is a loyal Scarlet Knight as he earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s from the State University of New Jersey and has been a part of the New Jersey Football Coaches Association for over 20 years.

Mantz served as a graduate assistant for Rutgers for then head coach Doug Graber during the 1990 and 1991 seasons.

Mantz resurrected Hillsborough and South Brunswick into powers within the state during his stints at the schools and owns a combined 113-69 record overall which includes time at Passaic.

Rutgers has never had a position like the one Mantz will take over, but two of Ash’s previous stops – Arkansas and Ohio State – did.

Since former head coach Kyle Flood took over the program after now Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano left in 2012, the program has seen exactly one top-10 N.J. player stay home and go to Rutgers (using 247Sports.com rankings). Nadir Barnwell of Piscataway (who now off the team), is the only player from 2013-2016* in the top-10 to stay home. The 2012 class was mainly put together by Schiano as head coach and this year’s cycle, 2016, is now in the hands of Ash with signing day in February and a couple top-10 Jersey guys left on the board. Many have gone to Penn State, Ohio State, or Michigan in recent years.

In addition, reports came out Monday morning that Rutgers has hired Adam Caltury, 25, as the recruiting director. Caltury coached the wide receivers and called the plays for Central Valley High School (Monaca, Pa.) before landing at Ohio State from 2014-15 as a recruiting assistant with Ash and legendary head coach Urban Meyer.

Adam Caltury (right)

It is unknown whether current recruiting coordinator E.J. Barthel will remain, but so far he is still around.

A running backs coach seems to be all that is left for the new version of Rutgers football. More to come on the assistant coaching hires. Stay tuned.

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