First Miami. Now Michigan. Who’s next, USC?

Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano, who last year turned down an offer to become head coach at Miami, yesterday turned down Michigan, the winningest program in college football.

“I was contacted earlier this week about the Michigan coaching vacancy, but I have decided to remove my name from consideration,” Schiano said in a statement released by Rutgers.

“I look forward to our third straight bowl game and to bringing a national championship to Rutgers and the state of New Jersey.”

According to a source close to the situation, Schiano went to sleep Thursday night leaning towards accepting the Michigan offer, believed to be a five-year deal with an annual salary of $2.2 million. His Rutgers contract pays $1.75 million annually through 2016.

In addition to the money, what makes the Michigan job so attractive is marvelous tradition, some of the best facilities in college football and a legitimate chance to compete for the national championship every season.

Turning down Miami was reasonable. Turning down Michigan is shocking.

“Maybe he’s waiting for Penn State or Notre Dame or an SEC job,” said one source. “But he really loves that state and that program. It’s a part of him. He doesn’t think he’s taken Rutgers as far as it can go.”

That was exactly the message Schiano delivered to his players in a 7 a.m. team meeting, according to sources. He said there still was work to do.

Schiano’s rejection of Michigan should have several repercussions. Rutgers must fast-track plans to expand Rutgers Stadium from its current capacity of about 42,000 to the mid-50s.

Michigan might reach out to another Big East coach. Sources told The Post that Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly is figuring more and more into Michigan’s thoughts as athletic director Bill Martin stumbles through his search. LSU’s Les Miles and Schiano have elected to stay put and, although Martin doesn’t have Kelly high on his list, former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr does.

The Scarlet Knights were a disappointing 7-5 this season and will face Ball State in the International Bowl on Jan. 5 in Toronto. But the Knights went 11-2 in the 2006 season, won the first bowl game in school history, and are now recruiting some of the top players in the nation.