Julie Hermann Won't Resign as Rutgers AD Amid Allegations of Abuse as Volleyball Coach
The new athletic director for Rutgers University is coming under fire after reports surfaced alleging that she was abusive to players while she was a volleyball coach at Tennessee. However, she says she will not resign.
Julie Hermann will not resign as Rutgers' incoming athletic director following a report in The New Jersey Star-Ledger that she emotionally abused players while coaching the women's volleyball team at Tennessee 16 years ago.
"I never considered withdrawing because I feel very qualified to lead Rutgers into the future and into the transition into the Big Ten," Hermann said Monday during a conference call with reporters. "And I do feel the support of the Rutgers community."
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Rutgers President Robert Barchi said in a statement the university fully supports Hermann as her role as the new athletic director and that she was the best qualified to take over the job after former AD Tim Pernetti resigned.
"Rutgers was deliberative at every stage of this process," Barchi said in a statement. "Over the course of the search, Julie's record established her as a proven leader in athletics administration with a strong commitment to academic success as well as athletic excellence, and a strong commitment to the well-being of student athletes."
The situation arose after a video became public showing former Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice verbally and physically abusing players.
"I am responsible for the decision to attempt a rehabilitation of Coach Rice,'' Rutgers Athletic Director Tim Pernetti said in a statement at the time.
"Dismissal and corrective action were debated in December and I thought it was in the best interest of everyone to rehabilitate, but I was wrong. Moving forward, I will work to regain the trust of the Rutgers community," he added.
The video was a culmination of several practices taking place late last year. The tape contains several instances of Rice hitting players with basketballs in the back, legs, and chest as well as cursing and shouting various slurs at the players.
