TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE
-Despite allegations, Hermann not considering resigning
No quit in Julie.
"I never considered withdrawing because I feel very qualified to lead Rutgers into the future and into the transition into the BIG TEN," Hermann stated in a conference call yesterday with reporters.
She also denied having knowledge of a letter written by the 15 Tennessee players on the 1996 volleyball team when she was head coach of the Vols.
"My former boss at Tennessee never heard of it and I never heard my former players make the allegation. Rutgers officials have talked to me about it in recent days. I was an intense coach and may have made a few mistakes handling my team. I have matured since then. All of my life has prepared me to lead this organization. Whatever mistakes you make as a young person, you've got to learn from them and go and grow. It is my intent to go to Rutgers with this vast experience of super highs and super lows and lead what I hope is an outstanding program into the BIG TEN."
Other items she touched on during the 10 minute call:
- Hermann said that the company that vetted her for the Rutgers job did ask about a lawsuit file by one of her assistant coaches over a job termination.
- She believes she can raise funds despite what has happened.
- She denied name calling, specifically when asked about calling the players "whores".
"That's not part of my vocabulary...Here's what I would say. Am I an intense coach? Absolutely an intense coach as many coaches are. But, there is a big canyon between being super intense and abusive, and this was not an abusive environment for these women. Was it challenging? It was incredibly challenging. Was I aware that there were players that were unhappy? I was aware of that at the end of the season and I was unhappy."
Rutgers President Robert Barchi stands behind Hermann, saying she was the best of the 63 candidates interviewed for the job. He commented also that
"We remain confident that we have selected an individual who will work in the best interests of all our student athletes, our athletic teams and the university."
So, there it is. Julie isn't planning on leaving and the head of Rutgers University isn't planning on asking her to. Only the university's board of governors can withdraw Hermann's appointment.
New Jersey governor Chris Christie is touring the New Jersey shore today with Barack Obama to see the rebuilding that's been done in the area after Hurricane Sandy and probably won't turn his attention to Rutgers until tomorrow. Although Christie can't terminate the appointment, he does have several ways of applying pressure. He does appoint six of the boards 11 voting members and can perhaps threaten to cut the school's funding or refuse to renominate a member of the board who doesn't support his view. It is unknown whether Christie would use any of these methods.
We asked for answers yesterday and we got some.
We, too, are satisfied that Hermann can do a great rebuilding job at Rutgers and if the Julie Hermann we saw at Louisville is allowed a chance to "do work"...it will be good work and will help restore Rutgers as a viable and powerful athletic program.
To paraphrase the song written by the Staple Singers back in 1971:
"Get out the way and let the gentle(woman) do her thing."
RESPECT YOURSELF
Respect. It begins with the respect and confidence in your own abilities and accomplishments. Ms. Hermann has that.
Hermann has shown the nation (and UofL) that she deserves and has earned the respect for her accomplishments. Sure, there are battle scars. The difference is that she has picked herself up off the mat and is still willing to fight...and win.
We're in her corner and think that she'll take the contest.
( Parts of today's column are from lehighvalleylive.com)
( Editor's note: It should be clearly noted here that the opinions in this column may not necessarily reflect those of all the writers and staff at CARDINAL COUPLE. They are Paulie and Sonja views in this article. We have received different viewpoints from readers, former CARDINAL COUPLE contributors and writers and anonymous e-mails and commenters. )
-Paulie
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MONDAY MEMORIAL DAY
-Please remember those who have served
-Hermann abuse allegations heating up.
Amidst the picnics, family get-togethers, events and day off from work happenings on Memorial Day, let us not forget the reason why this day exists.
Today is a day for a memorial tribute and rememberance to those who have served our country in our armed forces. We should thank them 365 days a year. Today is one of them.
I am proud of my wife, father, father-in-law, friends and all who defended our country so that we may be free from oppression, tyranny and dictatorship rule. I remain a solid believer in our freedoms and rights and will defend them also, even though my days of standing at the ready to serve and protect were many years ago.
Once in, always in.
If you see a current, soon-to-be or former member of our
armed forces...today or anyday...just simply say "thank you"...please.
And may we always be safe, secure and set in our principles of being a democracy and land of opportunity, not oppression. America isn't perfect. No country is. But we are the land of the free and the home of the brave. Not just words in our National Anthem, but a way of life. No bombs or missles overhead, no death squads hunting us out because of race, creed, religion, color or national origin. Children playing in parks instead of huddled in fear in bombed out buildings.
I am thankful. And, thank you to those who served, gave their lives and those who still serve today.
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We wrote an article in Sunday's CARDINAL COUPLE about the allegations surrounding incoming Rutgers University Athletic Director and former University of Louisville associate senior athletic director Julie Hermann. It seems there are reports that she allegedly upset a few volleyball players at Tennessee while coaching there in the 1990's.
Now the governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, plans to speak to Rutgers officials about a report that Hermann quit as Tennessee's women's volleyball coach 16 years ago after her players complained she ruled through humiliation, fear and emotional abuse.
We know the Julie Hermann of Louisville. Quite honestly, we didn't know Hermann was the volleyball coach at Tennessee until a few years ago. It was something that was obviously of public record.
The Julie Hermann we know has been an excellent administrator and much-loved figure at UofL.
It is time, though...for Ms. Hermann to come out with a statement. Either own it, if all the allegations are true and substantiated...or fight it if it's a set up or overblown out of proportion.
The bottom line, I suppose...is whether the report will make Rutgers to re-consider the appointment of Hermann. It goes deeper than that. It is fuel to the fire for those who want Rutgers University president Robert Barchi to resign because of this potentially severe and additional punch in the gut to a university that has been a punching bag lately.
Question 1: If the allegations are true, why...in heaven's name didn't Rutgers do their homework and eliminate her as a candidate...saving everyone from a whole bunch of embarrassment and pain?
Question 2: Was Hermann really the monster that the former players claim she was?
Question 3: Can Rutgers, if the allegations are factual and she owns up to them, bring her in...based on the good things she did at Louisville? People change. Coaching is different than being an athletic director. Old dogs learn new tricks and second chances (see Bobby Petrino) are granted.
Question 4: If Hermann is not appointed Rutgers AD, does Tom Jurich keep her as second-in-command at UofL?
It would have been quite easy for Rutgers to take her aside and say...we have these questions, these issues from your time at Tennessee and, based on them, we are eliminating you from our job candidate search. Did they do the homework and, if they did, what did they discover?
Hermann has staunch defenders within the UofL ranks, who laud her time here at UofL. We are one of those. She's top-notch and above the board when it comes to her time as a Cardinal and she remains one of our all-time favorites.
But, we do feel that Julie needs to say something besides "Wow".
Many years ago, I took a chance on hiring an employee (when I did stuff like that) who had an incident in her past, but had turned her life around...and she turned out be an invaluable, essential employee to the place where we worked. I knew about her past, though. She brought it out into the open. People change.
Whether or not the allegations against Julie are all true and a cause for terminating her upcoming job at Rutgers is not your or my call. It is something that Rutgers needs to decide.
But...we need to hear Julie's side of the story. Innocent until proven guilty and should the alleged sins of the past destroy the future? Heavy rhetoric and complex questions.
I'm a Julie Hermann fan. The Julie Hermann I know is a good and honest person who cares and produces. If there was a rough patch there in her life, her employment of the past...well, most of us have been there. You move on and try to do better. Hermann has proven her value and worth.
Weigh in.
-Paulie
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