Rutgers coach Eddie Jordan gets emotional after upset of Wisconsin (VIDEO)

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]

Eric LeGrand 'upset' at Rutgers for rescinding commencement speech offer: Report

Add another link into the chain of embarrassing situations surrounding the Rutgers athletics department these days. And this might be the biggest public relations blunder of all.

Even with the stench of the Mike Rice scandal still in the air and in the wake of athletic director Julie Hermann telling a journalism class that it would be "great" if the state's biggest newspaper, the Star-Ledger, would close down, the New Jersey university has stubbed its toe once again.

Eric LeGrand, the former Rutgers football player whose perseverance after being paralyzed during a 2010 game and has become an inspiration to Rutgers and the entire country, said Monday he was given the chance to talk at the school’s May 18 commencement ceremony, only to have the offer rescinded, according to MyCentralJersey.com. 

Over the weekend, LeGrand believed he would be Rutgers’ commencement speaker —  after Condoleezza Rice bowed out (another fiasco) due to student backlash — and he was called Saturday by Gregory Jackson, chief of staff for Rutgers President Robert Barchi, asking that he speak at the ceremony. 

On Monday, reports say, LeGrand’s phone rang again, this time with Hermann on the line reversing their decision.

“[T]hey decided to go other ways for political reasons,” LeGrand tweeted. 

  

Now — after a weekend of being told to prepare a keynote speech — Le Grand officially is out, and he’s “very upset” about it.

LeGrand was not given a reason, and Monday the school announced former Gov. Thomas Kean would be the keynote speaker.

“I’m very upset about it,” he said. “I was all excited all weekend thinking about what I was going to say. It’s rough.”

Over the weekend, LeGrand envisioned giving a keynote speech to inspire legions of Scarlet Knights students and share his remarkable story — only to have it yanked away.

"I was just going to tell them my story, about the whole process," LeGrand said . "Starting in 2005, being recruited by Rutgers and what it meant to me to play here and go to school here. And then the way everybody supported me through my injury, I was just going to give inspirational words about how they should attack life.

“All the things I've learned so far. All the (graduates), they're my age so I was going to try to (say) words they could remember, words that would inspire them to do great things in life."

Too bad. Maybe Rutgers would have learned something about dignity.

UPDATE: Eric LeGrand will be speaking at the school's 2014 commencement after Rutgers changes its mind due to pressure from RU students and social media.

Ex-Rutgers basketball player Derrick Randall sues school for Mike Rice incident: Report

Derrick Randall, a former Rutgers basketball player who transferred to Pittsburgh this spring, is suing his former school relating to the incidents that ultimately led to basketball coach Mike Rice being fired.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court, according to a report by Courthouse News Services, and names the school, Rice, Rutgers president Robert Barchi, former athletic director Tim Pernetti, former assistant coach James Martelli, CFO Janine Purcaro, and chairman of the board of governors, Mark Hershhorn, are all named as defendants.

The complaint was filed Friday in Trenton, according to The Star-Ledger.

The lawsuit says that the incidents caused Randall to lose confidence in himself and affected his play. Rice was fired after videos surfaced of him throwing basketballs at players and hurling slurs at them as well.

Randall alleges that Rice "assaulted and battered him," according to the report and that the other defendants knew about it.

"Stuff still pops up about like Mike Rice stuff," Randall told The Star-Ledger last month, before knowledge of the lawsuit arose. "I just don't want that to ever happen to me again because it was the worst time of my life."

The complaint states, in part: "The outrageous, intimidating and abusive conduct to which Derrick was subjected included Coach Rice hurling basketballs at his head and legs and hitting, grabbing, striking and shoving him. Coach Rice verbally, mentally, and emotionally abused Derrick through violent screaming, cursing and other humiliation tactics, including the use of homophobic slurs and other shockingly derogatory and discriminatory name calling."

"It's an important and serious case," Daniel Kohba, Randall's lawyer told The Star-Ledger.

Randall is seeking damages and punitive damages in the suit.

Ex-Rutgers coach Mike Rice talks about his mistakes: 'I've changed'

In his first television interview since the well-publicized scandal that cost him his job six months ago, former Rutgers University men's basketball coach Mike Rice said he has learned from his mistakes and is now a changed man.

"I won't be perfect moving forward, but I've changed," the once fiery Rice told "Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts in an interview for ABC's "20/20." "Having that taken away, your dream job...and having it done in such a visible way...and hurting the people closest to me...it changes a person."

The 44-year-old Rice was fired by the New Jersey state college April 3 as a result of a quickly unfolding scandal that began when ESPN's "Outside the Lines" aired footage of the coach being abusive to his players. The images were shocking, showing Rice pushing players in the chest, grabbing them by their jerseys, yanking them around the court, even hurling balls at their heads and groin. Rice could be heard screaming obscenities and vulgar language at players, including "f---ing f----t" and "fairy."

Rice claims he looks back at his behavior and is appalled.

"My first reaction, when I saw the tape was one of embarrassment, of shock, of sadness," Rice told Roberts.

From ABC:

Some of the harshest criticism against Rice came because of his use of anti-gay slurs, already a touchy subject at Rutgers. In 2010, Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi took his own life after he discovered his roommate had secretly used a webcam to watch his intimate encounter with another man in their dorm room.

Rice told Roberts that his use of homophobic language was "idiotic," because, he said, "I wasn't thinking that I was shouting at Tyler Clementi, or anybody else, who was a gay or a lesbian."

At the time, Rice said he believed he could change Rutgers' basketball program, but he admitted to Roberts that he wasn't ready.

"I thought it was necessary to get my team or that individual... to be tougher," said Rice.

Since the scandal, Rice said he has also apologized to his former players.

"You know, whether it was texting, whether it was calling, whether it was, handwritten letters, whether it's email, they don't deserve this and especially the first year's team," he said. "Even though we were out-manned every single night, they really, really fought hard for me…and they're almost embarrassed about that fact now. They're embarrassed about being a Rutgers basketball player."

He continued, "It's an incredible place...and it hurts, again, for me to be the reason why it's not looked upon as well as it should."

"That was a hard lesson learned that's for sure," said Rice. "There is going to be a different message. There is going to be a different Coach Rice."

Rice also spent five weeks of therapy in Houston with former NBA player John Lucas, who runs a treatment and recovery center for athletes.

"You're not going to completely change the perception...because that's going to be who Mike Rice is, a small percentage of it," Rice said.

"And again, it's not about making excuses. It's about learning from them. It's about sharing those mistakes with other coaches, and hopefully one day, if I do want to coach again, having an opportunity...That's what it's about."

The full interview with the former Rutgers coach will air during ABC News' "20/20" on Friday, Nov. 8, 2013, at 10 p.m. ET.

Rutgers to hire woman as new athletic director: Report

As Rutgers takes a giant step into its future by joining the Big Ten Conference in 2014, the university just might be taking an even bigger leap right now by hiring a woman the run the athletic department for the first time in the New Jersey school's history.

Julie Hermann, most recently the No. 2 athletic administrator at Louisville, has been named the school’s new athletic director -- making her one of just three women at a BCS program to currently hold the athletic department’s top position (N.C. State’s Debbie Yow and California’s Sandy Barbour are the others), according to two people familiar with the process. Both people requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak on behalf of the school. Hermann, 49, has most recently served as the Cardinals’ senior associate athletic director and senior woman administrator, reports NJ.com.

Hermann was chosen for the position at Rutgers over Wisconsin deputy athletic director Sean Frazier following an emergency voting session this morning by the school’s 11-member Board of Governors. That session was necessitated after Rutgers’ six-member Executive Athletic Committee deadlocked at 3-3 in trying to choose between Hermann and Frazier as Tim Pernetti’s successor.

Pernetti resigned on April 5 in the wake of the Mike Rice scandal.

Though she lacks direct football experience, Hermann oversaw 20 of Louisville’s 23 sports. The school is coming off a victory in a BCS bowl game (Sugar Bowl), a national championship in men’s basketball and a Final Four appearance in women's basketball.

She has worked in the Louisville athletic department since 1998. An introductory press conference is expected to take place later today.

HS Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley Sr. would consider Rutgers job

If any surname is synonymous with basketball in New Jersey it's Hurley.  It starts with Bobby Jr., moves on to Danny and ends with Senior — as in Bob Hurley Sr..

The legendary Hall of Fame coach of St. Anthony High School in Jersey City told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that he would consider taking over the tattered Rutgers basketball program as a caretaker for a year or two.

The 65-year-old Hurley told the interviewer Friday that his wife, Chris, and his daughter, Melissa, have encouraged him to take the job if approached, and he indicated he would do it on a short-term basis to stabilize the program that was rocked after a video was aired last week showing now fired coach Mike Rice kicking and grabbing players while uttering anti-gay slurs.

Mike Rice warned recruit before Rutgers practice video went public

Mike Rice may have abused his players in practice once they put on a Rutgers uniform but the fired basketball coach actually gave a heads up about the shocking video to one recruit to keep him from being blindsided by the scandalous footage.

Shane Rector, a former standout point guard at St. Raymond's in the Bronx, said he was warned about the tape — with its homophobic slurs and basketball projectiles — by Rice himself a few days before the video was released, reports The New York Daily News.

"Before the video came out he called me up. He talked to me," said Rector. "He told me there was going to be a video about him online. He wasn’t trying to hide it from me. I still felt comfortable."

Rector, who was at a Manhattan health club practicing for Saturday's Jordan Brand Classic regional all-star game at Barclays Center, said Rice's firing swayed him from signing with Rutgers and the basketball program's uncertain future.  He had verbally committed to Rutgers in January, choosing the Scarlet Knights over top schools including Providence, Texas, Xavier, Arkansas and Arizona State.

"Once they fired the head coach you don’t really know what’s going to happen - who they’re going to hire, if they’re going to like you or not," said Rector, who attended South Kent (Conn.) following his junior year at St. Ray’s in the Bronx. "So the best decision for me, just so I could have all my bases covered (was to de-commit)."

The highly-touted player says he might still head to Piscataway if the school hires a coach that is a good fit for him. And, despite the warning from Rice, Rector was still stunned by what he saw on the video, but didn’t change his mind about going to Rutgers.

"I was definitely surprised," Rector said. "I know that Coach Rice is an intense guy. I still like him as a person and I think he’s a good person. I don’t think he meant any harm by it. I don’t think he’s a guy that likes to beat on people. But the video speaks for itself.

"If he (Rice) would have stayed I probably would have still went there."

Rice used gay slurs, threw basketballs at Robert Morris says former player

It would be foolish to think that Mike Rice's sadistic behavior was under control until he took over the coaching reins at Rutgers University. And it doesn't take a psychiatrist to figure out that the basketball coach's foul temper probably reared its angry head long before he got to Piscataway.

Now, according to The Associated Press, a former Robert Morris player has told school officials former coach Mike Rice used a homophobic slur and threw a basketball at a player "once or twice" during his time at the university.

Rice was fired by Rutgers last week after video of the coach verbally and physically abusing players became public. A former Rutgers staff member alleged Rice engaged in several "coaches versus players" brawls while coaching the Colonials from 2007-10.

Robert Morris athletic director Craig Coleman says an internal investigation uncovered no evidence of the alleged fights. Coleman says one player, who left the program while Rice was in charge, told officials Rice directed a gay slur at him and got into a shoving match with another player during halftime of a game. The other player denied having improper contact with Rice.

'Saturday Night Live' spoofs Rutgers sadistic basketball practice video

 "Saturday Night Live" spoofed Rutgers University men’s basketball coach Mike Rice's sadistic practices on this weekend’s episode, which was hosted by comedian Melissa McCarthy.

McCarthy appeared as coach Sheila Kelly, an abusive women’s basketball coach at fictitious Middle Delaware State. The skit – presented as an ESPN “Outside the Lines” report – shows the coach throwing bricks at her players, threatening them with a bat, screaming obscenities and even using a stun-gun.  One scene has the players serving her dinner on the court.

The SNL skit was a send-up to the Rutgers uproar that followed the release of explosive practice footage showing Rice berating and demeaning his players that went worldwide.

ESPN releases disturbing footage of Rutgers coach Mike Rice abusing players

Rutgers men's head basketball coach Mike Rice was suspended for 16 days and ordered to undergo anger management classes and sensitivity training for exhibiting extreme behavior discovered during an internal athletics investigation at the university last December.  Now ESPN has released video footage which led to the school disciplining the hotheaded coach.

On ESPN's "Outside the Lines" Tuesday, Jeremy Schaap showed clips of Rice berating his players with  slurs, throwing balls at players' heads and even kicking them.

While interviewing Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti, Schaap said ESPN had "hours and hours of footage" showing Rice "abusing his players in practice ... assaulting them."

Eric Murdock, an ex-NBA player and a former director of player development for the Scarlet Knights reportedly witnessed the abuse firsthand and brought the video clips to Pernetti in November.

"The one thing I hated," Murdock said of Rice, "he would always talk about 'Lithuanian this, Lithuanian that,' talk about where he's from -- 'soft-ass Lithuanian b--ch," soft-ass Lithuanian pu--y.' His nickname was basically 'Lithuanian fa--ot.' "

On a 30-minute video Murdock said he showed Pernetti and other Rutgers officials in December, Rice is seen hurling a ball from point-blank range just passed a player's head, shoving him and repeatedly swearing at him. At another point, Rice hurls a ball that strikes the player's knee. He appears momentarily hurt and has to sit out a play.

In December, NJ.com reported:

Multiple individuals have confirmed to The Star-Ledger that it was because Rice threw basketballs at players heads during a practice in his first or second season as Scarlet Knights coach.  Rice also used abusive language towards players that went beyond the allowable limit for a head coach at the university.

Pernetti, who stood by Rice during the suspension and had an independent monitor watch over his coach when his punishment was through told Schaap that Rice has since cleaned up his act.

Pernetti said on Tuesday afternoon that his investigation of Rice began in the summer and culminated with his December punishment. Pernetti said Rice's actions were not aligned with what the university believes is acceptable, but that the behavior was a "first offense" and was handled appropriately.

Murdock claims he was fired by Rice and Pernetti in July and is pursuing legal action for wrongful termination.

"His contract was not renewed," Pernetti simply told Schaap.

Rutgers' Mike Rice to undergo anger management, sensitivity training along with suspension

Rutgers head basketball coach Mike Rice will have to undergo anger management classes and sensitivity training for exhibiting extreme behavior  discovered during an internal athletics investigation.

Rice was already suspended 16 days on Thursday for violating athletic department policy and now an anonymous person — with knowledge of the additional punishments handed down by the school — has confirmed the initial report of disciplinary action, reports The Star-Ledger.

The source asked to remain anonymous in order to speak more freely about internal matters.

The Star Ledger reported:

Multiple individuals have confirmed to The Star-Ledger that it was because Rice threw basketballs at players heads during a practice in his first or second season as Scarlet Knights coach.  Rice also used abusive language towards players that went beyond the allowable limit for a head coach at the university.

The incidents were recorded and shown to the 43-year-old head coach upon receiving his punishment of a suspension without pay and a $50,000 fine.  The fiery coach, who was hired in 2010 to clean up the mess former head coach Fred Hill left behind, will also have an independent monitor to watch his practices after he returns on Dec. 29.

Despite Rice's past history of tossing his jacket early in games and blistering referees ears with his protests, Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti still stands behind Rice.

"I am committed to Mike," he said at a press conference announcing the punishment on Thursday.  "While this is a difficult situation and while this is certainly a negative, there are a lot of positives for the program."

Pernetti admitted this punishment for this incident was part of a broader concern.

"It's a pattern, I think I would say," admitted Pernetti.

For example, last season during a game against Louisville, it only took rice two minutes for Rice to get ejected from the game after making a choking gesture towards one of the refs.  Pernetti said his investigation was prompted by this incident.

Associate head coach David Cox will serve as Rice's replacement for the next three games.

St. John's mascot rappels down 470-foot building

St. John's mascot, Johnny the Thunderbird, might not be the coolest mascot in college sports but it is probably the ballsiest.

The big-headed bird was probably hoping its wings were functional when it rappelled down the side of the 470-foot Harborside  Financial Center Building No. 5 as part of the "Over the Edge" fundraising  initiative on Friday.

Johnny joined Rutgers head basketball coach Mike Rice  and other fundraisers help raise money for the American Cancer Society by lowering themselves down the glass structure which rises up from the Jersey City waterfront.

After the fearless Red Storm mascot got his feet firmly planted back on the ground, he tweeted about the stunt on Twitter.

You can have your Leprechaun looking for a fight, Sooners in a wagon or Trojan on a horse but when it comes flat out mascot toughness — try lowering yourself down a 50-story building wearing a giant ten-pound bird head.

The Over the Edge event helped raise over $250,000 for cancer research.

Don't Hold It Against St. John's For Victory Over Rutgers

There were still a few defiant Rutgers fans at Madison Square Garden this morning wanting to get their money's worth and waiting to for the final 1.7 seconds to run out in the second round game against St. John's.  Somebody ought to gently tell them the Scarlet Knights team will not be seeing any more action at this year's Big East Tournament. 

While bitter Rutgers fans--and authority figure haters-- have plenty to gripe about after yesterday's controversial 65-63 loss to the Red Storm, don't let it ruin one of the best feel-good-stories in college basketball--St. John's basketball.

Sure, the officials blew a couple of foul-calls against St. John's down the stretch and swallowed the whistle when Justin Brownlee grabbed a bobbled in-bounds toss with 4.9 seconds left in a frantic scramble for the ball.

Sure, the St. John's forward took three long steps (an obvious walk), planted one foot out-of-bounds and tossed the game ball into the stands with 1.7 seconds remaining while the officials scurried off the court, eliminating any chance for the pleading Rutgers players to tie or win the game. 

Sure, the officials, Jim Burr, Tim Higgins and Earl Walton, refused to take a look at the video-tape which clearly showed everyone--including a national television audience--there was still time on the clock, but don't blame the St. John's team.

It's too bad the St. John's team, no matter how far they go in the tournament, will be known less for their win streak and return to prominence, than the tarnished victory.

The blame must be squarely laid on the referees and not the St. John's players.  But others are not immune to the blatant non-calls.

The three veteran officials announced they were voluntarily stepping away from the rest of the tournament.  An admission of guilt?  Maybe.  An admission by the Big East that the three lost control of the game in the waning moment?  Not yet.

A lot of people have to wonder how 19,375 spectators at the Garden saw the infractions and the clueless refs didn't even let out a tweet from their whistles.

Home crowd favoritism--maybe?  It is Madison Square Garden and not the Garden State.

Tim Higgins looked like the grumpy old guy in "Up" as he scampered off the court through the tunnel.  The other two scattered like rats in an alley too.

Many others saw the final gaff by the officials.  One St. John's assistant pulled his jacket over his head in disbelief when Brownlee tossed the ball into the red seats.  Nobody does a victory cover up.

St. John's head coach, Steve Lavin, who was passed over for Big East Coach of the Year, but may have an Academy Award in his future.  Brownlee was walking right at Lavin with an outstretched hand when he touched the sideline. What coach isn't looking at the clock in a close game like this.  Right after the game,  Lavin just said, " Both teams played their fannies off."

It sounds like the majority of Johnnies' fans didn't see the infractions either. It looks like the confessional booths on St. John's campus could be a harder ticket than the tournament quarterfinals at the Garden today.

Blame Rutgers head coach, Mike Rice too.  He saw the whole fandango and bashed his forearms like it was some sort of spastic cheerleading move.  Most Big East coaches would have been over those officials like white-on-rice.  Instead Rutgers fans got Rice-on-Rice.  He should have pulled a Charlie Sheen and dragged those refs backs to the video review table. Even the Rutgers players pleaded with the refs before they brushed past them and ducked off the court.

Give Rice credit though.  He took the high road after consoling his disappointed players.  At a press conference he said, "Would I love to not have it happen?  Of course.  But I made so many mistakes in the game, it's unbelievable."

Chances are slim that the Scarlet Knights could have pulled of the comeback but they deserved to get that 1.7 seconds back.  Now,  St. John's tries to avenge a 76-59 loss in a quarterfinals game against Syracuse.

It would only be fair for the senior-laden St. John's team to get credit for their play after four years of stumbling.  The players deserve credit blending into a cohesive, winning squad and not be labeled fortunate or beneficiaries of a St. John's/Syracuse match-up conspiracy.

 Sometimes tournament play is all about getting a little help along the way.  A tipped ball or a missed call is part of the game.

As Lavin said after the game," We dodged a bullet."  More like four of them.