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Rutgers appoints a second interim Athletic Director

Knight Shift

Knight Shift

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HeavenUniversity

HeavenUniversity

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Breaking news—
Rutgers names Fred Gruninger, Jr. new Athletic Director. Upon hiring he said, “ We are withdrawing from the Big Ten. Beginning with the 2026-27 season, Rutgers will return to a conference with similiar universities, the Atlantic Ten Conference. Can’t wait to see great rivalries with URI, Duquesne, and George Washington. Should be packed crowds at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. In football, look at the 2026 schedule I have lined up—
At Colgate
Maine
At Richmond
Bucknell
At Monmouth
William and Mary
At Towson
Delaware
At UConn
UMass
At Princeton
Brown
All home games will be televised on New Jersey Network on tape delay !
 
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iReC89

iReC89

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no disrespect to the person appointed, I'm sure they are great, but the leap from facilities to AD of a B1G program is a flaming grand canyon too wide. RU should have ponied up some bucks to bring a name in here, or put a big name already here in charge in name only if needed. The only possible redemption route is that this is a very short term appointment and something else is in the works.
 
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WillieTheSilent

WillieTheSilent

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Problem was that the BoG hires the President and if the BoT tried to hire an AD.. who could they have gotten? Any AD candidate knows they have a temp job even if the President hires them... with a new President yet to be hired, who would want the job?

If Barchi had found his balls before the media came for his job, then Pernetti would have been the AD this whole time. No Julie Hermann, no Hobbs.. Schiano may have been back sooner... sheesh.
 
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retired711-rivals

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Some of you may recall that I have been saying for months that there would be no decision on a new AD until the new President took office. The new President understandably wants to play a role in the AD's selection, and no candidate in his right mind would want to take the job without being sure he can work with the President.
 
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JackieAprileJr

JackieAprileJr

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Shelby65 said:
Nevermind the title, isn’t Schiano essentially the AD anyway ?
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I actually hadn't even heard the 2nd interim AD news yet when I posted this thread about Schiano possibly taking over as AD. I see this scenario being even more likely now. The interim AD keeps the seat warm this year or maybe the next two and then Schiano takes the AD job and hires one of his proteges as the new Rutgers head coach.
 
MADHAT1

MADHAT1

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31,651
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Don't count out Rutgers President Tate using old ties and reaching out Keli Zinn Executive Deputy Director of Athletics and Chief Operating Officer for LSU Athletics..
She was interim AD at WV before going to LSU
Can't say if she's being considered, but a better guess than thinking about Greg being given the job.
There a Deputy AD at Wisconsin that might deserve a look-see

Mitchell Pinta
uwbadgers.com

Mitchell Pinta | Deputy Athletic Director/Chief Revenue Officer | Staff Directory | Wisconsin Badgers

Mitchell Pinta joined Wisconsin Athletics as Deputy Athletic Director / Chief Revenue Officer in February of 2022. A 2025 Sports Business Journal Forty Under...
uwbadgers.com uwbadgers.com
 
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retired711-rivals

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MADHAT1 said:
Don't count out Rutgers President Tate using old ties and reaching out Keli Zinn Executive Deputy Director of Athletics and Chief Operating Officer for LSU Athletics..
She was interim AD at WV before going to LSU
Can't say if she's being considered, but a better guess than thinking about Greg being given the job.
There a Deputy AD at Wisconsin that might deserve a look-see

Mitchell Pinta
uwbadgers.com

Mitchell Pinta | Deputy Athletic Director/Chief Revenue Officer | Staff Directory | Wisconsin Badgers

Mitchell Pinta joined Wisconsin Athletics as Deputy Athletic Director / Chief Revenue Officer in February of 2022. A 2025 Sports Business Journal Forty Under...
uwbadgers.com uwbadgers.com
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Why would Greg want to be the AD? Why would he want to be an administrator rather than a coach? (Certainly he's too sensible to want to try to do both jobs, particularly now that being an AD has become even more complicated than in the past?)I think it's more likely that Tate will find someone he's familiar with and likes.
 
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MADHAT1

MADHAT1

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retired711 said:
Why would Greg want to be the AD? Why would he want to be an administrator rather than a coach? (Certainly he's too sensible to want to try to do both jobs, particularly now that being an AD has become even more complicated than in the past? I think it's more likely that Tate will find someone he's familiar with and likes.
Click to expand...
He wouldn't and I feel Tate is looking for someone he feels comfortable with and thinks will work well with all the coaches.
 
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yesrutgers01

Heisman
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Since Tate has only recently been brought in as President- the clock resets to when that happened. an AD was not going to be hired until the President was. And any list that had been put together or any potential candidate would have to start over again as well. In the meanwhile- someone does have to do the actual daily tasks that are part of the job.

So- I am not stressed out over this. But, I also do not want to see us hire someone that have to learn the job while being here. Rutgers now has the "bones" to really do something special. Men's basketball showed that if we can bring in the money, we can attract top players. Football- Love him or hate him, Greg has brought the team from laughing stock to very respectable and has us oh-so-close to doing something special. Fans are interested again but...very close to having that go either way. The President is a sports guy and the revenue sharing brings things to a point where if we really want to push sports, we can.
If all of this can't attract a proven AD, then I will get worried. But how long it has taken, doesn't bother me.
 
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e5fdny

e5fdny

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yesrutgers01 said:
Since Tate has only recently been brought in as President- the clock resets to when that happened. an AD was not going to be hired until the President was. And any list that had been put together or any potential candidate would have to start over again as well. In the meanwhile- someone does have to do the actual daily tasks that are part of the job.

So- I am not stressed out over this. But I also do not want to see us hire someone that have to learn the job while being here. Rutgers now has the "bones" to really do something special. Men's basketball showed that if we can bring in the money, we can attract top players. Football - Love him or hate him, Greg has brought the team from laughingstock to very respectable and has us oh-so-close to doing something special. Fans are interested again but...very close to having that go either way. The President is a sports guy, and the revenue sharing brings things to a point where if we really want to push sports, we can.
If all of this can't attract a proven AD, then I will get worried. But how long it has taken, doesn't bother me.
Click to expand...
Not stressing that much either (more of a sigh than annoyed - lol) but not so sure about this part.

And his last boss was a sports guy too.
 
WillieTheSilent

WillieTheSilent

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any Big Ten AD job is a big deal. President Tate now has to navigate the political waters of that job opening in New Jersey where politicians look at any public position as a great opportunity for their friends/family.. AND satisfy the current athletics world at Rutgers.. AND handle his own network of friends/family reaching out.

It is a sweet position for him to grant to someone... but there is so much to handle. I wish him all the luck in the world and hope he puts the FUNCTION (who can best do the job) above FORM (bending to pressure from those who wish their firends/family get this plum assignment). Tate comes from LSU where a wrong hire in athletics could send him packing.. so we got that going for us.

Also.. the wrong hire is far worse than a delayed hire.. waiting for the best person for the job.
 
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yesrutgers01

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e5fdny said:
Not stressing that much either (more of a sigh than annoyed - lol) but not so sure about this part.

And his last boss was a sports guy too.
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As I said- oh-so-close, but not sure if he is the guy to cross the finish line. lol
 
HeavenUniversity

HeavenUniversity

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Mrs Screw, I think you mentioned you (along with half the people in the Northeast) are moving down South soon. Have you adopted a Southern school to root for?
 
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retired711-rivals

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JackieAprileJr said:
To reduce travel, increase time with his family and not have to recruit year-round.
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I doubt he would have accepted a long-term contract to coach if he didn't want to coach at 59 -- which, as I suggested in a later post than the one you quote, isn't particularly old. In addition, he really doesn't fit the profile of what Rutgers is looking for -- see the article linked by @MrsScrew.
 
HeavenUniversity

HeavenUniversity

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retired711 said:
I doubt he would have accepted a long-term contract to coach if he didn't want to coach at 59 -- which, as I suggested in a later post than the one you quote, isn't particularly old. In addition, he really doesn't fit the profile of what Rutgers is looking for -- see the article linked by @MrsScrew.
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According to my nephews, anything that happened before 1990 is “ a long time ago.” 🤷‍♂️
 
JackieAprileJr

JackieAprileJr

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HeavenUniversity said:
Mrs Screw, I think you mentioned you (along with half the people in the Northeast) are moving down South soon. Have you adopted a Southern school to root for?
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I can understand adopting new professional sports teams if you move somewhere, especially long-term, but for college sports that seems ultra-bandwagon to me. Your school is your school and you never switch. Just my opinion.
 
HeavenUniversity

HeavenUniversity

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JackieAprileJr said:
I can understand adopting new professional sports teams if you move somewhere, especially long-term, but for college sports that seems ultra-bandwagon to me. Your school is your school and you never switch. Just my opinion.
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When I lived in South Carolina, I got football season tickets for Clemson and USC. When I lived in Virginia, I got season tickets for UVA. I became a Rutgers fan in 1976, but was already a college sports fan.
 
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MrsScrew

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HeavenUniversity said:
Mrs Screw, I think you mentioned you (along with half the people in the Northeast) are moving down South soon. Have you adopted a Southern school to root for?
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We haven't moved yet so still a full time RU fan. Anticipated moving date is 2027, after I retire.
'
I'll always be a RU fan, but I certainly won't be traveling to NJ every week or every other week for game, maybe a couple of games a year.

. We are looking in NC. Our most recent trip I was asked if I was a dark blue fan (Duke) or a light blue fan (UNC). Apparently you have to pick one.....not sure I can commit yet! LOL
 
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mdk02

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MrsScrew said:
We haven't moved yet so still a full time RU fan. Anticipated moving date is 2027, after I retire.
'
I'll always be a RU fan, but I certainly won't be traveling to NJ every week or every other week for game, maybe a couple of games a year.

. We are looking in NC. Our most recent trip I was asked if I was a dark blue fan (Duke) or a light blue fan (UNC). Apparently you have to pick one.....not sure I can commit yet! LOL
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You better believe you have to pick one. Played in a lax tourney sponsored by the two many, many years ago. We practiced at Duke. The was a blackboard in the locker room with a light blue patch on it with the following slogan:

"This Carolina Blue
Know it
Hate it
Defeat it"

Throw in NC State for hoops and the intensity of the rivalry is something that doesn't exist in the Northeast.
 
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retired711-rivals

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mdk02 said:
You better believe you have to pick one. Played in a lax tourney sponsored by the two many, many years ago. We practiced at Duke. The was a blackboard in the locker room with a light blue patch on it with the following slogan:

"This Carolina Blue
Know it
Hate it
Defeat it"

Throw in NC State for hoops and the intensity of the rivalry is something that doesn't exist in the Northeast.
Click to expand...
I spent a semester teaching at UNC Law, and I can vouch for what you say about the rivalries with NC State and Duke.
 
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mdk02

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retired711 said:
I spent a semester teaching at UNC Law, and I can vouch for what you say about the rivalries with NC State and Duke.
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Same trip. This was near the end of the Oil Embargo recession so all college budgets were very constrained. While there we were lodged at the Carolina State Fairgrounds in cabins that I swear had been used to film Hogan's Heros. We got our meals at the NC State Student Union. We stayed there in the evening because there were no televisions back at the Stalag. Nearby the student union there were a couple of high rise dorms. On Thursday night (it's March) as were walking to the bus the is sudden pandemonium in the dorms. Yelling. Screaming. It sounded like they were throwing furniture around the rooms. Next morning we find out why. Syracuse had sunk a buzzer beater to defeat UNC in a Sweet Sixteen game. The ruckus was due NOT to NC State winning, but to UNC losing.
 
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