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Old abuse allegations surface against Rutgers' new AD

NEWARK, N.J. - A report that the new athletic director Rutgers hired to clean up its scandal-scarred sports program quit as Tennessee's women's volleyball coach 16 years ago after her players complained that she ruled through humiliation and fear drew Gov. Christie's attention Sunday.

Julie Hermann listens during a news conference where she was introduced as the new athletic director at Rutgers University on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, in Piscataway, N.J. (Mel Evans/AP)
Julie Hermann listens during a news conference where she was introduced as the new athletic director at Rutgers University on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, in Piscataway, N.J. (Mel Evans/AP)Read more

NEWARK, N.J. - A report that the new athletic director Rutgers hired to clean up its scandal-scarred sports program quit as Tennessee's women's volleyball coach 16 years ago after her players complained that she ruled through humiliation and fear drew Gov. Christie's attention Sunday.

Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak said the governor was aware of the report about Julie Hermann in the Star-Ledger of Newark but wanted to get details before commenting.

"He's not going to make any judgments at this time," Drewniak said in an e-mail to the Associated Press on Sunday.

The Newark newspaper reported Tennessee players wrote of suffering unbearable mental cruelty when Hermann was coach, adding that she called them "whores, alcoholics, and learning disabled."

That portrayal of Hermann, however, was a surprise to one former colleague.

"For me to say this is a shock, it totally is because of the tremendous job she did for me," Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich, who was Hermann's boss for nearly 16 years, said Sunday. "When she was with me at Northern Arizona, her players adored and loved her.

Hermann was hired at Rutgers on May 15 to replace Tim Pernetti, who was let go after basketball coach Mike Rice was fired for abusive behavior.

Hermann, 49, is scheduled to take over at Rutgers on June 17. She would be the first woman to run the Scarlet Knights' athletic program and one of three female ADs at the 124 schools playing at college football's top tier.

It was uncertain whether the report would force Rutgers to reconsider the appointment. It could give impetus to those who want university president Robert Barchi to step down after yet another black eye for the state's largest university.

The university had not issued a comment by 4 p.m. Sunday.

Hermann was not immediately available for comment, but she told the Star-Ledger she did not recall the Tennessee letter. The newspaper said when it was read to her by phone, she replied, "Wow."

Rutgers board members Candace Straight and Joseph J. Roberts Jr. did not return telephone calls seeking comment.

In the letter submitted by all 15 team members in 1996, the Tennessee volleyball 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."