- This former University of Tennessee volleyball head coach had highly publicized (print, TV, and internet) integrity allegations and interpersonal-skill issues that came to light prior to taking this office. Not surprisingly, that media perception did not improve when Rutgers' leadership blew it off and put her on the payroll, without simply further vetting.
- Putting aside for a moment any personal bias we may assume our neighbors have toward a specific sport, gender, political party, or personal acquaintance in office... it seems germane to first, simply ask: "Would I give my money to this AD? Would I want my daughters' and sons' protection against bullying ultimately overseen by this AD? Is this the best we can do for $450,000 per year?
ARTICLE 1 Excerpts:
“Trouble began before Hermann even took office, as
she denied at her introductory news conference the existence of a video tape in which she says she would be upset if a former assistant of hers with the University of Tennessee women’s volleyball team got
pregnant.
“
The tape HERE later surfaced and members of that 1996 team also came forward to
accuse Hermann, the head coach, of bullying and name-calling…”
…“Hermann’s difficulties fundraising and the lack of confidence she inspired from her staff and her superiors contributed to her undoing…”
“A few months later, then-Rutgers football player Jevon Tyree accused then-assistant coach Dave Cohen of
bullying. Tyree’s parents and Hermann wound up in a public he-said she-said over whether or not Hermann actually spoke to them about the incident when they tried to contact her.
“Rutgers was cleared of the bullying allegation during an outside investigation, which never resolved whether or not Hermann and the parents spoke. Hermann
maintained she spoke with a man posing as Tyree’s father after a face-to-face meeting between the two sides was brokered…”
ARTICLE 2 Excerpts:
’As everyone knows, in May of 2014, Hermann — who today was fired along with head football coach Kyle Flood — left a voicemail for Eric LeGrand saying Rutgers was reneging on its offer to make him the keynote speaker at the upcoming commencement. Former New Jersey Gov. Thomas H. Kean was getting the nod instead.
“(University) President (Robert) Barchi decided to go in a different direction because of political reasons,” the
paralyzed Scarlet Knights football player reported Hermann as saying.
The next part has been chewed over many times within Rutgers’ administrative circles: Upon reading about the voicemail, Barchi’s head exploded. His office’s instructions to Hermann had been simple: Explain to LeGrand that he still would be a speaker, just not
the speaker.
That the
wrong message was communicated and, worse yet, done
via voicemail only — plus the aftermath that
a vexed LeGrand could not get Hermann to return his call — served as the tipping point for Barchi. It was the moment when he finally realized Hermann could not do the job. He might have been the last person in New Jersey to arrive at that conclusion.
From then on, Hermann was a dead AD walking. Her grand plan for an athletes’ village got ignored, and she was cut out of the loop as the administration dealt with this fall’s football scandals. Why did Barchi allow a lame-duck AD without the necessary interpersonal skills to limp along for 17 months? Money was one reason, and also this was the same guy who could not figure out how to play the Mike Rice video on his computer...”
