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It was two dozen years ago, during the very first afternoon of two-a-days at Ramapo High School in Franklin Lakes, N.J., when Mike Miello watched Greg Schiano coach for the first time. One of Miello’s former players, Schiano had just graduated from Bucknell, and was helping out as he studied for admission to law school when the veteran coach made a prediction.
“This kid’s gonna never see Day One of law school,’’ Miello recalled saying. “He’s a born coach.’’
Twenty-four years later, change that from “born coach’’ to NFL coach.
Schiano went from working for Miello to eventually hiring him as one of his assistants at Rutgers as the rock-jawed Wyckoff (NJ) native began one of college football’s best rebuilding jobs. In between there were stops as an assistant at Penn State, with the Chicago Bears and at the University of Miami. Schiano, 46, returns to New Jersey this weekend as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He took over a Buccaneers team that was 4-12 last season and brought a 10-game losing streak into the 2012 NFL season. But Schiano had an auspicious debut with last Sunday’s 16-10 win over Carolina. And after he watches his former team play in his new home — South Florida plays host to Rutgers tomorrow at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa — his 1-0 Buccaneers face the Giants Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
“Any college coach having an opportunity to become a head coach in the NFL, the top level, it’s a no-brainer. When that opportunity came, you can’t pass that chance up,’’ said Mike Teel, Schiano’s quarterback at Rutgers from 2005-09.
“I was happy [for him], not disappointed. Sad to see him leave Rutgers because he’s done such a good job for the program and New Jersey. … But [in Tampa] it’s going to be done the right way, people buying in.’’
They say the devil is in the details, but in Schiano’s case, everything is in the details.
“He has a passion for the game, intensity. He played Pop Warner like he was playing the Super Bowl,’’ said Miello, on Schiano’s first Rutgers staff in 2001. “Having worked for him and worked with him, this guy could be the CEO of a major corporation and be successful. There’s no detail he leaves unattended.’’
Seen as anywhere from dogmatic to draconian, in the mold of Tom Coughlin or Bill Belichick — or Gen. George S. Patton — Schiano is an admitted control freak for a Buccaneers team that finally admitted it was out of control, as Rutgers had been.
When Schiano inherited a Rutgers program drowning in academic attrition, losing half its players before they reached their senior year, he ordered each to meet with their position coaches at 7 a.m. daily to detail from their notes every hour of the previous day — everything from lifting to playing video games.
A program that was 12-34 in his first four seasons vaulted to 56-33 in his final seven, going to six bowls and winning five. They’re hoping for a similar turnaround in Tampa.
The Buccaneers ran roughshod over Schiano’s predecessor, 36-year-old Raheem Morris, a players’ coach who allowed music at practice and was referred to as “Rah.” Somehow, one can’t imagine the Tampa Bay players calling Schiano “G.”
He keeps the room temperature at meetings at a brisk 68.5 degrees, to keep players alert. He doesn’t permit hands on hips because it’s a sign of fatigue. He even checks the exact distance between cleats and sideline during practice.
“Regardless of what we wanted, Coach never let us slip. Ever,’’ said Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. “One time in training camp, somebody’s foot wasn’t on the line and he made us start the practice over again and all the fans were like “Yeah!” We hated it, but when you go out there … you see how it pays off.’’
Eyebrows arched when Schiano got rid of safety Tenard Jackson, tight end Kellen Winslow and defensive tackle Brian Price, all starters. But Jackson is suspended indefinitely for again violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, and Winslow got cut by Seattle and failed a physical in New England. Price was released by the Bears.
And a reckless team that had an NFL-worst 40 turnovers last season didn’t have any Sunday, and just four penalties. The Buccaneers held Carolina to 10 yards rushing, harassing Cam Newton with three sacks and two picks. All of that came versus an NFC South rival that outscored the Buccaneers 86-35 last season.
“Guys who when he came in he released, they’ve all since been released,’’ said Teel. “He identifies guys who are going to buy in and the guys who aren’t, weeds them out, sends ’em packing.
“If you’re not doing it his way, he’ll find someone who will. Guys like Ronde Barber are buying in, and it’s worked pretty well.’’
brian.lewis@nypost.com
Making moves
How Buccaneers shook up their roster in the offseason, including adding new coach Greg Schiano (above, celebrating Sunday’s season-opening win over Carolina):
Record: 1-0 (4-12 in 2011).
Key Additions: The Bucs had cash to splash in free agency, and signed top-dollar free agents Vincent Jackson, Carl Nicks and Eric Wright. Jackson is a Pro Bowl wideout, Nicks a two-time All-Pro guard who led the Saints to the Super Bowl, and moves Jeremy Zuttah — Schiano’s former Rutgers player — to center. They also signed DLs Amobi Okoye and Gary
Gibson and TE Dallas Clark, and drafted S Mark Barron, RB Doug Martin (right) and LB Lavonte David.
Key subtractions: There also was addition by subtraction in cutting S Tenard Jackson and WR Dezmon Briscoe and trading DT Brian Price and TE Kellen Winslow. All were starters except Briscoe, who led the team with six TDs.