PISCATAWAY – Julie Hermann, Rutgers beleaguered incoming athletic director set to take over on June 17, spoke with the media Wednesday, saying she hopes her new school becomes “a national story in academics and athletics.” She’s got the first part right.
Rutgers has become a national punchline, with the jokes getting louder and louder from the Mike Rice abuse scandal that cost the basketball coach and former AD Tim Pernetti their jobs to reports that Hermann – hired three weeks ago as the latter’s replacement – verbally abused her own players while the Tennessee volleyball coach.
“It was extremely difficult. It was heartbreaking to hear the voices of these people,’’ Hermann said of the complaints of her Vols team, which sent a letter to the Tennessee administration in early 1997 accusing her of calling them whores and alcoholics, charges she denied. “I’m not a name caller.
“It was a difficult time. There were so many things going on with the team, and when you’re a young coach you may or may not be equipped to manage what we were managing as a team at that time. As hard as that was, as difficult as it was on me, it was arguably one of the most important for me, not just as a coach but as a future administrator.’’
She’s also been involved in two discrimination lawsuits, one at Tennessee and another at Louisville. The Volunteers lost the former, and the latter is under appeal to the Kentucky Supreme Court. But Rutgers president Robert L. Barchi stood behind Hermann figuratively, although not literally, releasing a statement but not attending her 13:30 minute press conference.
“I look forward to Julie joining the Rutgers team later in the month,’’ Barchi said in a statement. “Julie and I had a great discussion today about her priorities and plans to strengthen the student-athlete experience and support the excellent coaches and staff at Rutgers by making sure they have the resources to succeed.
“Our smooth integration into the Big Ten is a top priority for the university. I am confident that Julie and her team will set the stage for a great transition.’’
Hermann – who spoke with Barchi and the coaching staff this afternoon, and spent 90 minutes this morning with Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany – said Parker Executive Search in Atlanta was aware of not just one but both lawsuits, vetted candidates and called Tennessee for background on the case.
She added she had no idea what Parker told Rutgers’ six-person Executive Search Committee or the 28-person selection committee.
“It would have been vetted through the search form. Whatever conversations they had through the committee, I can’t address…They knew there’d been a case and it had been litigated to the resolution that it had been litigated. I don’t agree with the outcome of that jury but everyone was aware of it,’’ said Hermann, adding they were aware of both cases. “To my knowledge, yes.’’
Hermann acknowledged fundraising will be harder because of the scandal. When asked if she’d considered stepping down, she asked “Who wouldn’t?” But she called Rutgers a special place and said she’s determined to stay.
“The single reason I got into athletics is that I had a great experience being a volleyball player at Nebraska. It was game-changing for me. If we can provide 500 or so opportunities to youth for kids to do that, I’ll go to the mat. I’ll deal with it. I’ll put up with it. I’ll deal with a national embarrassment,’’ said Hermann, alluding to the local press being perhaps tougher than she expected.
“I met with different people every hour on the hour for two to three days. There wasn’t one person who didn’t say “Are you ready to deal with the New Jersey media? And I naively said ‘Yes,’ because I feel that I’m completely an open book about all my past experiences. And so I honestly didn’t even think twice about it.”