UPDATE: Below is the Pernetti resignation letter detailing his reasons for leaving the position of Athletic Director posted on http://www.scarletknights.com/. (Click here for Barchi’s remarks on Pernetti resignation)
Dr. Robert L. Barchi, President
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
83 Somerset Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1281Dear Dr. Barchi:
I write in confirmation of our conversation earlier today during which we agreed that it was in the best interests of Rutgers University that I step down from my position as Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. I do so reluctantly because I always have and always will love Rutgers. I want to thank the people who have supported me throughout my years as a student-athlete and Athletic Director and help them understand my reasoning in this situation.
My continued tenure as Athletic Director is no longer sustainable for the University which I attended and where a piece of me will always remain. In connection with the incidents involving former basketball Coach Mike Rice, as was the case with all other matters which I handled on behalf of the University, I always tried my best to do what is right. I have spent a great deal of time reflecting on the events which led to today. As you know, my first instincts when I saw the videotape of Coach Rice’s behavior was to fire him immediately. However, Rutgers decided to follow a process involving university lawyers, human resources professionals, and outside counsel. Following review of the independent investigative report, the consensus was that university policy would not justify dismissal. I have admitted my role in, and regret for, that decision, and wish that I had the opportunity to go back and override it for the sake of everyone involved.
I trust that my tenure at Rutgers will not be judged by this one incident. I am proud of my efforts to lead Rutgers into the Big Ten, and of all of the accomplishments of our student-athletes in the classroom and on the field of play. I want to thank our great fans, the hardest working staff in collegiate athletics, and every one of our fine student-athletes. It has been my great pleasure to serve my alma mater.
Sincerely,
Tim Pernetti
Class of 1993
Original Post
Rutgers President Barchi is Shocked
Amid news reports that Rutgers Athletic Director Tim Pernetti is out, Rutgers President Robert Barchi has scheduled a news conference for 1pm, Friday April 5th.
The scandal which has made national, and international news, surrounds the a compilation of video segments taken over the course of two years showing Coach Mike Rice verbally and physically abusing players on the Rutgers basketball team.
Basketball in popular culture offers us those great high school basketball coaches who teach the game with a good dose of character building to go with it. Gene Hackman with Hoosiers, Samuel Jackson with Coach Carter. Inspiring stories of college basketball coaches just don’t make for good movies – and maybe there’s a reason.
Everyone knows that there are a lot of hot heads coaching college basketball – and it’s been known for decades. Many of them might have benefited from some anger management classes, but some are also known as the best coaches of their era.
In 1994, Temple University coach John Chaney – at a news conference- had to be restrained by security as he repeatedly screamed, “I’m going to kill you!” at -University of Massachusetts Amherst coach John Calipari; Chaney got a one game suspension. Chaney has also admitted to instructing his players to “rough up” the other team, with opposing players getting injured in the process.
Then there’s Adolph Rupp, one of the most successful coaches in American college basketball, who not only had a temper problem but also had some issues with race.
There’s a long list of hot headed college coaches, but Bobby Knight is probably the best known. Throwing chairs and cursing were so common with Bobby Knight that there are multiple video compilations showing that behavior; which makes allegations by a former player that Knight choked him very believable.
The video of Rice physically assaulting his players, cursing them, and his homophobic slurs should make people angry, but no one should be acting shocked about the behavior. College basketball has enough hot headed coaches who throw tantrums on national television – one needs to wonder what goes on behind closed doors.
College basketball is a business – that’s a fact – and there is enormous pressure put on everyone involved to build winning teams that can bring in millions of dollars. It’s expected that a good coach will be the buffer between the financial goals of a university and the players on the court – history tells us that is not always the case.
Whether Pernetti should have fired Mike Rice in November of 2012 can be debated, but whether Mike Rice deserves a punch in the face is pretty clear. If Rice’s behavior had taken place outside the context of the player coach relationship, the man would be nursing a well deserved bloody nose.
But the outcry of shock by New Jersey politicians and sport columnists is a bit disingenuous. They have all worked and benefited by creating the industry of college sports where everyone has a financial stake in whether a team wins or loses – and with that comes enormous pressure on all those involved.
Pernetti was one of the five finalists for athletic director of the year, and was at the helm as Rutgers was moved from the Big East Conference to the 2014 Big Ten Conference, and it seems the Rice incident will tarnish what would have been a video compilation of successes.
While players like NFL All-Pro running back Ray Rice and Rutgers Defensive tackle Eric LeGrand have offered support for Pernetti, it appears voices from the bleachers such as NJ Senate President Sweeney have ultimately drowned them out.
There’s a lot of money invested and profits made from college sports, and no one should be shocked when that pressure shows up on the basketball court.
Submitted by Charlie McCormick
Nicely stated Charlie.
I do have to add that I find both firings disingenuous. Of course, I don’t condone what Mike Rice did but Pernetti and the university decided that a 3 game suspension, fine and counseling were an appropriate punishment. So if that’s the case (debatable or not), firing Rice and Pernetti now is simply a knee-jerk reaction to the public outcry. Rather than Rutgers stand up and say “we believe the original punishment is fair and we stand by it”, Rutgers folded to public pressure and fired Rice and Pernetti. Following that cowardly logic and based on Pernetti’s letter, will the President of Rutgers fall on his sword too and resign? Some faculty are calling for it but I guess the public outcry for that isn’t loud enough……..yet.
I also find the comments by political leaders and sports media to be incredibly hypocritical. How can Gov. Christie talk about someone in a position of power being abusive and bullying with a straight face? How can ESPN (rightfully) rant on and on about how bad this behavior is yet hire Bobby Knight?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Would anyone have gotten fired if the team had a better record? If Rutgers was in the final four, would anyone even be talking about this?
From the news conference, it looks like Barchi is either an idiot or a liar….I vote both…..
Chief counsel “resigned” too huh? Seems all the players in this fiasco are now unemployed except one. The one person who could’ve take a stronger stance back when this was first discovered and instead is now throwing everyone else under the bus. Interesting.