The Rice is Fried....and the pan's still hot....

NEWARK, N.J. -- The woman hired to clean up Rutgers' scandal-scarred athletic program quit as Tennessee's women's volleyball coach 16 years ago after her players submitted a letter complaining she ruled through humiliation, fear and emotional abuse, The Star-Ledger reported Saturday night on its website.

"The mental cruelty that we as a team have suffered is unbearable," the players wrote about Julie Hermann, hired May 15 as Rutgers' athletic director after serving as the No. 2 athletic administrator at Louisville.

In the letter submitted by all 15 team members, the players said Hermann called them "whores, alcoholics and learning disabled" and they wrote: "It has been unanimously decided that this is an irreconcilable issue."

The players told The Star-Ledger that Hermann absorbed the words and said: "I choose not to coach you guys."

A former Tennessee women's volleyball assistant coach and a number of staffers at Louisville came to the defense of new Rutgers athletic director Julie Hermann on Sunday, denying allegations of mistreatment made by her former Vols players, one of whom went on the record Monday.

"I was in every huddle and involved in every volleyball substitution, and what they are saying is crazy," said Kim Tibbetts (formerly Kim Zenner), an assistant coach under Hermann beginning in 1992.

"I was by Julie's side in every meeting and every practice, and she never did what they're saying. What they are saying is not true. She was the most supportive coach. She loved those kids. What I'm hearing and seeing now is just shocking."
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However, according to one report, Hermann was confronted by players, who piled into an office -- some sitting on the floor and others sitting on a black leather couch. After hearing their complaints, according to the report, Hermann said she didn't want to coach the team anymore. The players remained anonymous in the report; however, one, Abbey Watkins, who played for Tennessee as Abbey Blazer from 1995-96, responded to the denials of mistreatment.

"I write this in response to make sure that the pain that we went through as a team is validated.”

"All of the things that were written are unfortunately true. Many of these things happened to me personally. I truly hope that Julie has changed but refuse for anyone to deny the fact that our dreams had been crushed and our hearts broken. I pray that each of my teammates are happy and well despite what we went through. I was the first player to speak at the meeting with my team, Julie, Kim and Joan. I said that she had made me hate the game I loved. For her or anyone else in the room to say that meeting didn't happen is appalling. I will never be able to get that day (and yes those black leather couches) out of my head."

Watkins also said that the situation was so bad that "we all had to go to individual counseling sessions mandated by the university's athletic dept. after she left the university."

A_Fan wrote:Just curious as to how much the President of Rutgers is paid to make such brilliant employment decisions.

Rutgers Prez Robert Barchi's bio says he's an active NIH-funded researcher. Given his recent hires, he doesn't seem so hot at "research."

DoubleDipper wrote:

A_Fan wrote:Just curious as to how much the President of Rutgers is paid to make such brilliant employment decisions.

Tweet from Jay Bilas:

Rutgers Prez Robert Barchi's bio says he's an active NIH-funded researcher. Given his recent hires, he doesn't seem so hot at "research."

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said on his "Ask the Governor" radio show that he spoke with Barchi, board of directors Ralph Izzo and Rutgers legal counsel John Farmar Jr., a former state attorney general, over the weekend.

"It's not my call," Christie said during the interview on 101.5 WKXW. "I'm confident in president Barchi's judgment and chairman Izzo and general counsel John Farmar. I spoke with all three of them in great detail and made it very clear to handle this decision as they see fit."

Christie said he's not going to "micro manage" every decision at Rutgers.

"I have absolute confidence in Bob Barchi," Christie said. "He's the right man for the job. I have complete support for him and for him to make the right decisions. He came out very forcefully in support for Julie Hermann. I'm in support of the board and president Barchi. I don't know her and I wasn't involved in the recruiting of her."

Christie also defended Hermann over the New York Times' story.

"She was not named in the suit,'' Christie said. "She was a witness. She was not a defendant in the case. The lawsuit was dismissed by the appellate court. Let's not engage in character assassination. The letter the Star Ledger has isn't signed by the players. The fact that the former Tennessee AD said they never received the letter. Julie Hermann said she never received the letter. What are we supposed to believe?"

Rutgers paid $70,000 for the background check that failed to uncover the accusations of verbal and emotional abuse from former volleyball players against Hermann.