New Rutgers AD Julie Hermann Accused Of Player Abuse

Julie Hermann, the incoming Rutgers University athletic director, stands accused of abusing players when she was the coach of the University of Tennessee women’s volleyball team.

Hermann was hired on May 15 to replace Tim Pernetti and to restore the Rutgers athletic program to respectability.

Pernetti, considered a rising star in intercollegiate athletics administration, was fired in early April as you may recall in the wake of the player abuse scandal involving head basketball coach Mike Rice. The coach was caught on video physically and verbally abusing players during team practices. Both Rice and Pernetti lost their jobs once the footage went public. Eddie Jordan, a former Scarlett Knights basketball star, recently was named to replace Rice, but he had a mini-scandal of his own when it emerged that he apparently never actually received a degree from Rutgers, the state university of New Jersey.

The allegations against Hermann are yet another embarrassment for the school’s athletic program, which switches to the Big Ten next season.

In a letter written at the time, the Lady Vols volleyball team collectively accused Hermann of unbearable mental cruelty, specifically calling them “whores, alcoholics, and learning disabled.” Hermann quit coaching the team shortly after the letter was presented to her.

Hermann was also apparently involved in a 1997 lawsuit over charges that she allegedly fired an assistant coach who became pregnant.

Julie Hermann is scheduled to officially take over as Rutgers athletic director on June 17 with a salary of $450,000. Some state lawmakers, however, feel Rutgers should rescind the job offer based on the revelations of alleged abuse, and that the president of the school should have his job on the line too: “Multiple high-ranking New Jersey state officials are demanding the ousters of Rutgers president Robert L. Barchi and newly hired athletic director Julie Hermann, and Gov. Chris Christie said he wants answers from the school in the wake of a report alleging Hermann — brought in to clean up the school’s sports reputation after the abuse scandal involving former basketball coach Mike Rice — herself abused players when she coached the Tennessee women’s volleyball team 16 years ago.”

Do you think Julie Hermann will actually become the Rutgers athletic director?

[Top image credit: Lacwal12]