Rutgers fire basketball coach Mike Rice after ESPN shows abusive behaviour
The Rutgers college basketball coach Mike Rice was fired on Wednesday, after a videotape aired showing him shoving, grabbing and throwing balls at players and using homophobic slurs during practice.
The videotape, which was broadcast Tuesday on ESPN, prompted sharp criticism from government officials in New Jersey, including Governor Chris Christie. With mounting criticism on a state and national level, the university decided to take action, relieving Rice of his duties after three largely unsuccessful seasons.
The Rutgers athletic director, Tim Pernetti, was given a copy of the video in late November, by a former employee. After hiring independent investigators to analyze the tape, he suspended Rice for three games, fined him $50,000 and ordered him to attend anger management classes. University president Robert Barchi saw the tape and signed off on the initial punishment. But in a Wednesday email, Rutgers referred to new information and "a review of previously discovered issues" as the reasons for Rice's termination.
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The video shows numerous clips of Rice at practice firing basketballs at players, hitting them in the back, legs, feet and shoulders. Rice was also shown pushing players in the chest and grabbing them by their jerseys and yanking them around the court. Rice could be heard yelling obscenities at players and using homophobic slurs.
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/apr/03/rutgers-fire-baseketball-coach-mike-rice
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