Why Rutgers Stuck With Julie Hermann

Despite reports about her displaying the kind of behavior as a coach that she was hired to fix as Athletic Director at Rutgers University why did the administration stick with her?

A senior Rutgers official tells the Star Ledger there were two reasons. First, they found the allegations made by Tennessee volleyball players in 1997 against then-coach Hermann "unconvincing."

Second, the school is concerned about the effect a firing would have on other searches the school is conducting including chancellor of the Rutgers-Newark campus. "If we push her under the bus, how many people are we going to do this to?" asked the official.

Rutgers began to investigate the allegations but discovered that a copy was not on file with the University of Tennessee. Athletic Department officials told Rutgers Hermann was coaching a "severely troubled and dysfunctional volleyball team." Hermann was allowed to give her side of the story but Rutgers administration did not speak to any members of the volleyball team.

Good First Impression On Donors

The Bergen Record reports that Hermann made a good impression on big money boosters during a dinner on Thursday night. “I went in there with a negative attitude, but I came out with an open mind,” Don Musso told the paper.. “I’m going to give her a chance." Posts on the I Support Tim Pernetti Facebook page show a possible turning of the tide.Alison Tindal posted that she will continue to buy football season tickets and support Rutgers."Things will get better-I just know it," she wrote.

Others are not so sure. Attorney Marc Stopa told the Bergen Record, "“If Barchi stays, they’ll never see another dime from me."

He further tweeted that he "spent quite a bit of time with Julie Hermann. Quite frankly, she said all of the right things tonight."