Post’s Back Page on Wednesday. (
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Rutgers practices will be a lot more tolerable next season.
A day after ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” broadcast a tape of Scarlet Knights coach Mike Rice verbally abusing players and throwing basketballs at them, the university fired him. The reaction to the tape was universal and scathing and AD Tim Pernetti caved to the pressure.
“Based upon recently revealed information and a review of previously discovered issues, Rutgers has terminated the contract of Mike Rice,” the Rutgers athletic department tweeted shortly after 10 a.m. on Wednesday.
VACCARO: GUTLESS AD SHOULD HAVE FIRED RICE MUCH SOONER
ASHAMED ALUMNI: PERNETTI MUST GO, TOO
The university sat on the footage — culled from hundreds of practices from 2010-12 — for months until Pernetti screened it for a group of reporters after learning of ESPN’s plans to broadcast it. When they originally saw it in December, the university decided to suspend Rice for three games and fine him $50,000. David Cox, who took over when Rice was suspended and went 3-0, was named interim coach on Wednesday.
“As I stated three months ago after I watched the video, how deeply regrettable those actions were,” an emotional Rice told WABC outside his New Jersey home. “I also stated that I was going to try and work on changing and I think I’ve accomplished a lot of that. I can’t say anything right now, except that I am sorry and there will never be a time when I am going to use any of that as an excuse or any excuse.
“I’ve let so many people down: My players, my administration, Rutgers university, the fans, my family who’s sitting in the house huddled around because of the fact that their father was an embarrassment. It’s troubling, but at some time maybe I will try and explain it, but right now there is no explanation for what’s on that film, because there is no excuse for it. I was wrong and I want to tell everybody who believed in me that I am deeply sorry for the pain and hardship that I’ve caused.”
At one point in the video compilation, Rice is heard screaming at a player, “You f—ing fairy, you’re a f—ing f—-t.” Pernetti said the slur was “at the core of the suspension.” Rice also calls Rutgers players “motherf—–s,” “p—–s,” “sissy b—–s” and “c—s.”
“I am responsible for the decision to attempt a rehabilitation of Coach Rice,” Pernetti said in a statement. “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.”
Pernetti slowly cracked as Tuesday’s PR nightmare grew worse by the hour.
Initially, in an interview on ESPN, Pernetti stood by his decision to merely suspend Rice. But when he went on WFAN about two hours later — and the uproar had begun — he admitted it was time to reconsider Rice’s status.
“I think now that [the videotape] is out there — we knew it was going to get out there,” Pernetti said on WFAN. “The reaction — we knew what it was going to be. I need to sit here and think about what gives us the ability to be effective going forward in men’s basketball, and more importantly, what protects the university.
“There’s a lot of things on my mind right now that I’m thinking through and trying to make sure that whatever decisions I make on a going-forward basis, that we try to make the right one.”
Rice, 44, who had two years remaining on a back-loaded five-year, $3.25 million contract, was endorsed by Pernetti after the season, despite his behavior off the court and his results on it, where he has produced a 44-51 record and a 16-38 record in Big East play.
With Howie Kussoy