"It has been a very trying decision," Gruninger said in a statement. "Frank is an outstanding individual and a respected coach who has shown great ability and loyalty. But we reluctantly concluded that the football program needs the kind of boost and redirection which comes only from new leadership. We want to be able to compete successfully in Division I-A play and felt we had to make this difficult decision now in order to begin moving forward again toward that goal."

Starting in 1977, Rutgers began playing outside of its traditional schedule of Eastern teams such as Ivy League opponents, Colgate, Lehigh and others, and took on Penn State, only to lose, 45-7. Since then, it has played such powers as Alabama, Pitt, Boston College, West Virginia, Arizona State and Tennessee. Rutgers upset Tennessee in 1979. But the Scarlet Knights lost 15 times to these powers without a victory and usually by lopsided scores in the last four seasons.

Because of Rutgers' decision to move up in major competition, Princeton stopped playing Rutgers after 1980. Princeton and Rutgers met in 1869 at New Brunswick, N.J., in what is considered to be the first American football game.

Burns began his career at Rutgers as an assistant coach in 1949, the year he graduated. He was the head football coach at Johns Hopkins in 1951 and 1952 and at Chatham High School in New Jersey from 1957 to 1960. He became the Rutgers coach after John Bateman was dismissed following the 1972 season.

Burns suffered a heart attack after the seventh game of the 1977 season. Following surgery, he returned as coach in August 1978. His best season was 1976, when the Scarlet Knights were 11-0 but did not receive a bowl invitation. Following the 1978 season when Rutgers was 8-3, the Scarlet Knights lost to Arizona State, 34-18, in the first of four Garden State Bowl games at Giants Stadium.