Rutgers new athletic director, Julie Hermann has a few skeletons in her closet and they look a lot like Mike Rice's. It seems like Rutgers was so focused on replacing its disgraced athletic director and moving on from a dark saga in their history, that they failed to fully vet his replacement. According to The Star-Ledger, not one, not two players, but an entire team submitted a letter detailing the extensive abuse Hermann inflicted as the University of Tennessee's volleyball coach 16 years ago.
Hermann was not fired as a result of the accusations levied against her, however, the situation is still an embarassing one aesthetically for Rutgers to stagger blindly into.
I'm assuming at this point the #Rutgers president is familiarizing himself with @linkedin bit.ly/1aloBl9
— LZ Granderson (@Locs_n_Laughs) May 26, 2013
Via ESPN:
In the letter submitted by all 15 team members, the players said Hermann called them "whores, alcoholics and learning disabled" and they wrote: "It has been unanimously decided that this is an irreconcilable issue."
The players told The Star-Ledger that Hermann absorbed the words and said: "I choose not to coach you guys."
The 49-year-old Hermann, set to take over the Rutgers' program on June 17, told The Star-Ledger she didn't remember the letter. The newspaper said when it was read to her by phone Wednesday, she replied, "Wow."
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie plans to speak with Rutgers officials about the Star-Ledger's report. Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak said Sunday the governor is aware of the report, but wants to get more details before commenting.
