Rutgers football coach Kyle Flood suspended three games, fined $50000

All of us must use this as an opportunity to grow as coaches, administrators and staff. We have been in the process of instituting additional compliance training as it relates to university policies on athletic-faculty communication and continue to enhance our documentation of all compliance-related meetings. Norries Wilson will serve as interim head coach during Flood’s suspension.

Flood initially defended his interactions with faculty, but he mostly respected the school’s orders that he not to comment on the ongoing investigation thereafter.

Kyle Flood will be suspended for Rutgers’ next three games.

The report says the adviser said, “Coach, you can’t have contact with the professor”. I understand now that it was against the rule that I was unaware of at the time.

“Kyle was apologetic. He clearly apologized to me and to the faculty and staff and students for anything that he might have done that caused any damage to them”.

That’s your latest from Rutgers University, straight from a Rutgers internal investigation report. “I care deeply about my student-athlete’s academic performance”, he said.

After more e-mails, Flood also arranged an in-person meeting with the professor, one where he intentionally wore clothing without any Rutgers branding so as not to stand out and be recognized, according to the report. Flood endured Andre Boggs, Razohnn Gross, Ruhann Peele, Delon Stephenson and Nadir Barnwell being kicked off the team after they were arrested on different charges.

Rutgers opens Big Ten play at Penn State on Saturday. The investigation was conducted by William F. Maderer and Saiber LLC law firm.

Most schools do not allow coaches to contact professors directly about grades due to pressure, either explicit or implied, that is felt when academics are confronted by a highly-paid coach. The coach said Aug. 25 that he regularly communicates with faculty. “We’re all part of the same university”.

Flood, who previously expressed his “disappointment” for going to bat for Barnwell, accepted his “discipline”, and took personal responsibility for the incident, according to Barchi’s statement.

Flood is entering his fourth season as coach. The paper was never graded after being submitted, and the grade was not changed.

“I believe that the discipline is severe and justified for his failure to follow policy”, Barchi wrote.

Barchi said that the matter is also being looked at by the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) to see if any of its by-laws were broken.

“There’s no correlation or interrelationship between the two at all”, he said of the legal issues and Flood’s talking to a faculty member about a student’s status. Our faculty must have complete independence in executing their duties and there is a reason why we prohibit athletics coaching staff from discussing the academic standing of students with faculty.