.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
Report: Rutgers coach tried 'to circumvent' eligibility process
Rutgers football begins the 2015 season Saturday against Norfolk State, but a major driver of headlines continues to be reports from NJ.com that coach Kyle Flood contacted a member of the school's academic support staff, potentially to influence the grade of Nadir Barnwell, a potential starter in the Scarlet Knights defensive backfield.
The latest revelation came Wednesday as an anonymous university official told NJ.com the coach contacted a faculty member despite being told not to and explained the incident as being, "about Kyle trying to circumvent the process and trying to get the kid eligible."
Regardless of the coach's intention, university protocol calls for coaches to avoid directly contacting academic teachers and professors, requiring them to go through members of the academic support staff instead "so as to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.''
Violating university regulations is against Flood's contract and could result in punishments as mundane as a public reprimand or as serious as a termination for cause.
NJ.com reported Flood declined comment on the latest report, but the coach earlier issued a statement acknowledging he has contacted faculty members in the past.
"Our faculty are part of our program," Flood said Aug. 25. "Just as recently as the other day, we had two faculty members at our practice. Now, any correspondence that I had with a professor in regard to a student-athlete would really be of this nature: One, to be in support of whatever decision that faculty member made, and two, to inquire as to whether or not there would be an opportunity to earn a better grade. Now, this practice is not unusual at Rutgers. Many students all over campus receive what are called 'T grades' doing work outside of when the class ends that semester to earn a better grade."
(H/T NJ.com)
