Following Rutgers' 67-62 upset victory over No. 4 Wisconsin on Sunday, head coach Eddie Jordan couldn't help but get emotional during his post-game press conference and express his pent-up feelings about putting the embarrassment of a once-shamed basketball program behind him, his players and the school.
The tears seemed to be a long-awaited part of the healing process.
"I'm just happy for the community,'' Jordan said at the podium before pausing, covering his face with his hand and wiping his eyes.
Ten seconds went by before Jordan continued talking about what this win meant and his attempts to rebuild a program that only 20 months ago was the focus of a national scandal stemming from the Mike Rice player abuse controversy.
"We've suffered and I'm just happy for everyone,'' Jordan said, his voice cracking as he tried to collect himself in a packed media room. "I'm happy for the state, our faculty and everyone who supports us. This is part of the healing process and what we've talked about.
"I love my school, I love this community and I'm happy for it.''
Jordan admitted he won't be able to put into proper perspective what the biggest upset in his second-year program's history means until "tomorrow morning when I wake up.''
"It means so much the next morning when you're by yourself and you ask, 'What happened?' '' Jordan said. "It's a great win for the program. Our crowd was here to witness it. Hopefully that taste in their mouths will make that happen more.''
"It wasn't so much about the win, it was about the crowd and what they expected and how long it's been,'' Jordan told Rutgers Athletics Director Julie Hermann — who has had her own ups and downs in Piscataway — later outside the team's locker room.
Hermann called it "an amazing win.''
[NY.com]
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