Rutgers suspended its football coach, Kyle Flood, for three games and fined him $50,000 Wednesday after a university investigation confirmed that he had improperly contacted a faculty member in an effort to preserve a key player’s eligibility.
“Coach Flood’s actions in communicating with the faculty member crossed a line that all faculty hold dear,” Robert L. Barchi, the university’s president, said in a statement. “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.”
Barchi also said the university had discussed the case with both outside counsel and the N.