Rutgers hires woman as AD
Julie Hermann, former athletic administrator at Louisville, vows to clean up the mess left by the mens basketball program.
RUTGERS NAMED Julie Hermann yesterday its new athletic director, and the former No. 2 athletic administrator at Louisville promised a restart for the scandal-scarred program following the ouster of its men's basketball coach and the resignation of other officials.
Hermann replaces Tim Pernetti, who quit last month after the firing of basketball coach Mike Rice. Practice videos surfaced of Rice shoving and throwing basketballs at players and yelling gay slurs at them.
"No one on the coaching staff doesn't believe that we need to be an open book, that we will no longer have any practice, anywhere at any time, that anybody couldn't walk into and be pleased about what's going on in that environment. It is a new day. It is already fixed," Hermann said at a news conference.
Hermann will be paid $450,000 annually as a base salary with $50,000 in incentives and $35,000 contributed to a deferred compensation plan, according to a university release.
Hermann had been senior associate athletic director at Louisville. She becomes the first woman to head Rutgers' athletic program and one of three female ADs at the schools that make up the 124 playing at college football's top tier.
In other college news:
* Penn State guard Jermaine Marshall, the team's second-leading scorer, is foregoing his senior year of eligibility to pursue a pro basketball career. Marshall is on schedule to graduate this summer.
* Guard Joe Coleman, who averaged 8.7 points as a sophomore last season, is transferring after the offseason coaching change from Tubby Smith to Richard Pitino.
Pro Football *
Linebacker Rolando McClain, who signed a 1-year free-agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens in April, has told the team he is retiring at 23. McClain, who played three seasons with the Oakland Raiders, was arrested in Alabama after signing with the Ravens and was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
* The Oakland Raiders signed free-agent kick returner Josh Cribbs to a 1-year contract.
* Neither assistant general manager Scott Cohen nor director of football administration Ari Nissim will have his contract renewed by the New York Jets, a source told the Associated Press.
Philly File *
La Salle's Ramon Galloway will be the male recipient and UCLA's Markel Walker the female recipient when the Phoenix Club of Philadelphia recognizes its top college basketball players of the year from the Philadelphia area at the Union League on June 14. Walker grew up in Philadelphia before moving to Pittsburgh while she was in high school.
Sport Stops *
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said that playing the 2022 World Cup in the searing summer heat of Qatar is "not rational and reasonable." Despite health concerns included in an official report before the vote, the FIFA executive committee opted for the tiny emirate's bid in 2010.
* Back pain forced Andy Murray to retire midway through his second-round match at the Italian Open in Rome. Also, Rafael Nadal began his bid for a seventh Rome title by cruising past local hope Fognini, 6-1, 6-3, in just 61 minutes, and two-time defending champion Maria Sharapova eased past Spanish qualifier Garbine Muguruza, 6-2, 6-2.