DeCroce Blasts Rutgers for Rice Controversy

District 26 Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce, who was recently appointed to the state General Assembly's higher education committee, says Rutgers did the right thing by firing controversial former coach Michael Rice.

“Rutgers Coach Michael Rice demonstrated a pattern of conduct with his players that is unbefitting an institution of higher learning," said DeCroce, a Parsippany resident. "There is no rational way to condone or explain the physical and verbal abuse that Mr. Rice heaped on his players. Coach Rice earned his dismissal,  and I support his firing."

She added that she is most upset that "Coach Rice's conduct was tolerated for so long by the university.

"People in the athletic department knew for quite some time of Coach Rice’s violent outbursts and physical confrontations with players, yet chose to keep him at the institution until ESPN’s broadcast of the Rice’s behavior made it impossible to retain him as a representative of the state’s largest public university," she said. “Apparently, some people at Rutgers did not learn from the experience at Penn State. 

"Failure to act quickly to deal with inappropriate actions of coaches harms individuals, players and the university’s programs—not to mention the reputation of the university itself."

 A video of Rice obtained in late 2012 showed the former coach yelling at his players, kicking them, throwing basketballs at them and using anti-gay epithets against them.

The assemblywoman's comments came a day after the firing. There were also announcements Friday of the resignations of Rutgers Athletic Director Tim Pernetti and Assistant Coach Jimmy Martelli.

DeCroce said the university must look deeper into the problem so that such a situation never happens again. 

“The desire to win games and protect a sports program cannot ever be allowed to supersede a university’s obligation to protect its players and all those who come in contact with a program," the assemblywoman said. "The failure to fire Coach Rice earlier was a failure by Rutgers to meet its obligation to its student athletes and their parents. 

“Rutgers needs to examine its policies regarding the conduct of its coaches and how the athletic department and other college officials deal with abusive coaches in the future.”