Rutgers University is finding new ways to dig themselves deeper into, well you know. It seems like everyday there is a new scandal to rock the school. Just a year ago, this school was on top of the world. Tim Pernetti had announced that they would be joining the Big Ten Conference and would become a legit athletic program. A lot has changed since then, and nothing for the positive. Tim Pernetti is gone after taking the blame for covering up Mike Rice’s abusive coaching techniques. A new AD has been chosen, Julie Hermann, only to find out that she also has a past with abusive coaching techniques.
While trying to cover up Hermann’s muddy past, Rutgers has decided to place the blame on the accusers! Sixteen year ago, a letter was allegedly signed by the Tennessee women’s volleyball team accusing Hermann of using mental and emotional abuse as a head coach. Now, appointed senior vice president and general counsel John Farmer Jr. has come out in support of Hermann. While not being involved in the hiring process, he instead blames the students who are alleging the bullying by their former coach. There is never a dull moment when it comes to Rutgers Athletics!
Yes, there is no hard evidence of abuse taking place. However, where there is smoke, there is fire. Rutgers especially needs to separate itself from any type of scandal as it somehow tries to recover from this. The only way for Rutgers to do that is admit fault. Just admit that they did a poor job looking into Hermann’s background and hire a whole new staff. From the top, including President Barchi, down to newly hired men’s basketball coach Eddie Jordan. Clearly the staff who are there now are not getting the job done and to go into the Big Ten, they will need a much more competent staff.
By allowing these people to keep their jobs, Rutgers is putting itself in danger of losing sponsors and athletic recruits. Parents and students will be weary of being a part of Rutgers with the incompetence they have shown over the last few months. They have wasted thousands and thousands of dollars on “background searches” that showed nothing about the accusations against Hermann and against Eddie Jordan who did not graduate from Rutgers. Since the firing of Mike Rice and the resignation of Tim Pernetti, things have only gotten worse and fingers are pointed in all different directions as to who is to blame for it. Clean house Rutgers! Things cannot get any worse!
The irony of the whole situation is that the one person to accept responsibility in this, Tim Pernetti, is the one without a job.
