Rice Fired

[BallBoy]

Breaking News on CNN says Mike Rice was fired.

[NavinRJohnson]

So the immediate next question becomes, how does he AD still have his job. If what Rice did warranted a firing, and the AD knew about it, but not properly address it sooner, makes absolutely no sense that they don't walk out the door together.

[Marquette_g]

Buzz to Rutgers

[reinko]

So the immediate next question becomes, how does he AD still have his job. If what Rice did warranted a firing, and the AD knew about it, but not properly address it sooner, makes absolutely no sense that they don't walk out the door together.

Not only the AD knew, apparently the whole admin knew...they may choose to unite.

Get your popcorn ready for the Eric Murdock lawsuit.

[MerrittsMustache]

So the immediate next question becomes, how does he AD still have his job. If what Rice did warranted a firing, and the AD knew about it, but not properly address it sooner, makes absolutely no sense that they don't walk out the door together.

It is my understanding that firing a coach is much easier than firing an AD. Pernetti really had no choice but to fire Rice and should have done it earlier, but he's probably trying to spin it into "doing the right thing for the student athletes and the university" at this point.

It's also worth nothing that Pernetti is a local guy who played football at Rutgers and moved the school to the Big Ten. He could be a "fan favorite" (for lack of a better term) in Jersey.

[Warriors10]

So Rutgers suspended him and fined him $50,000 only to later fire him for the same incident?

[MerrittsMustache]

So Rutgers suspended him and fined him $50,000 only to later fire him for the same incident?

Yep. When the incident was kept in-house, it was a suspension. When it went public, the university was shocked and outraged and he was fired.

[Warriors10]

Yep. When the incident was kept in-house, it was a suspension. When it went public, the university was shocked and outraged and he was fired.

If I was Rice I'd sue for the money lost due to his suspension and fine.  I understand firing him, but to fine/suspend him due to the exact same event only to fire him for it...

[T-Bone]

Here's an article (puff-piece) blowing smoke up Pernetti's a$$. 

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/12/12/dyer-rutgers-pernetti-set-to-touch-the-skai-with-big-ten-switch/

Shocked that it's football related? 

Here's a fun bit:

When his men's basketball program needed to move on from head coach Fred Hill, the shrewd Pernetti handled it well with the hiring of the young and energetic Mike Rice, who has things finally headed in the right direction.

Oddly, he was suspended the day after the article appeared..

[chapman]

Just more mess that I'm glad we're rid of. 

[BCHoopster]

The AD had no choice, but he should have fired himself at the same time.  Bad decision, coaching by bullying your players is uncalled for, surprised a player did not come at him, Dave Delsman
would have.

[Tugg Speedman]

Just more mess that I'm glad we're rid of. 

+1

This is now problem of "America 12/this space for rent" and soon to be the B1G's problem

[ResidentBrown]

In the end, it looks like Rice was the one to receive the final push... out the door.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Worked with Mike at MU for 4 years.  Good guy off the court, nice wife, fun to be around socially....had some fun golf outings with him.  I never saw him act that way when at MU practices, though what I saw on the video tape they played I have seen things similar at practices around the country sans the ball throwing.  The pushing, moving players around...I've seen that 500 times.  The colorful language.....let's just say it's a good thing a video camera wasn't around when KO was coaching.  Certainly with Knight at IU and some of the KU practices I attended, they often got colorful.

Rutgers had to do this, not surprising, especially in today's age.  Many of my MU athletic deparment friends from that era sent me the clip last night and we all agreed he wouldn't last the day.  We all liked Mike and got along well with him, but none of us had ever seen those actions before....at least the ball throwing.  Of course, we had never seen him as a head coach before, either. 

[Blackhat]

He should sign up for a dodgeball league.   


He's pretty good, from the horrifying video.

[The Lens]

He was a hell of a bartender, I know that for sure.

[ChicosBailBonds]

He was a hell of a bartender, I know that for sure.

Yes he was.  Sean wasn't bad either.

[Windyplayer]

Verbal abuse is nothing new in college basketball practice, but no self-respecting adult should be using words like "F*ggot" to deride players and whipping basketballs at those players to get their point across. If that's not bullying, I don't know what is. I count my blessings that I wasn't a year or two younger than Rice and attending the same elementary, middle and high school as him.

He may very well be a nice guy off the floor, but that's not at issue.

[MU82]

Worked with Mike at MU for 4 years.  Good guy off the court, nice wife, fun to be around socially....had some fun golf outings with him.  I never saw him act that way when at MU practices, though what I saw on the video tape they played I have seen things similar at practices around the country sans the ball throwing.  The pushing, moving players around...I've seen that 500 times.  The colorful language.....let's just say it's a good thing a video camera wasn't around when KO was coaching.  Certainly with Knight at IU and some of the KU practices I attended, they often got colorful.

Rutgers had to do this, not surprising, especially in today's age.  Many of my MU athletic deparment friends from that era sent me the clip last night and we all agreed he wouldn't last the day.  We all liked Mike and got along well with him, but none of us had ever seen those actions before....at least the ball throwing.  Of course, we had never seen him as a head coach before, either. 

I liked Kevin O'Neill a lot and attended many of his practices when he was at Northwestern. His practices always were open to the media and sometimes to the public. His language was brutal and sometimes offensive, but I never once saw him shove a kid or throw things at a kid or choke a kid.

Just the language/screaming itself, and the way kids (and their mommies) are more sensitive these days, maybe that helps explain why Kevin now bounces around from job to job like a pingpong ball. I do know that Kevin preferred coaching in the NBA because there was less babysitting. During his brief time as head coach, Kevin was much less bombastic.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I liked Kevin O'Neill a lot and attended many of his practices when he was at Northwestern. His practices always were open to the media and sometimes to the public. His language was brutal and sometimes offensive, but I never once saw him shove a kid or throw things at a kid or choke a kid.

Just the language/screaming itself, and the way kids (and their mommies) are more sensitive these days, maybe that helps explain why Kevin now bounces around from job to job like a pingpong ball. I do know that Kevin preferred coaching in the NBA because there was less babysitting. During his brief time as head coach, Kevin was much less bombastic.

I saw KO repeatedly slap a certain individual time and time and time and time again every time he brought the ball down low instead of keeping it up high.  Some of the words used by Mike, same words used.  I never attended at NW practice, but at MU more than my share.

There are a few folks here that were managers with KO during those practices....I agree I never saw him choke someone, nor throw a ball at someone, but was there physical interaction as a teaching point for him?  Yes.  Did it work?  In my mind, yes.  Did the player like it...no

[Dawson Rental]

The AD had no choice, but he should have fired himself at the same time.  Bad decision, coaching by bullying your players is uncalled for, surprised a player did not come at him, Dave Delsman
would have.

Al invited Delsman to take a shot at him, and was shocked that he was able to knock him down.

[ATWizJr]

The AD had no choice, but he should have fired himself at the same time.  Bad decision, coaching by bullying your players is uncalled for, surprised a player did not come at him, Dave Delsman
would have.

Bernard Toone would have, also.

[bilsu]

Start the debate.

Which is the better Big 10 job? Rutgers or Minnesota.
I will go with Rutgers.

[keefe]

Bernard Toone would have, also.

That was halftime of the 1st Round Cincy game. Maurice Lucas pulled Toone off of AL.

[Warriors10]

I saw KO repeatedly slap a certain individual time and time and time and time again every time he brought the ball down low instead of keeping it up high.  Some of the words used by Mike, same words used.  I never attended at NW practice, but at MU more than my share.

There are a few folks here that were managers with KO during those practices....I agree I never saw him choke someone, nor throw a ball at someone, but was there physical interaction as a teaching point for him?  Yes.  Did it work?  In my mind, yes.  Did the player like it...no

Was there social media back then?  No.  Was KO winning?  Yes.