First of all I'm not a huge Rutgers basketball fan, but am I a season Rutgers football ticket holder for the last seven years. So today has been hard for me. The president of the school decided to fire Tim Pernetti as athletic director in wake the Mike Rice mess.
Three years ago, a friend of mine, who's son was a corner back on the team, made the six hour trip up to Syracuse to see the game. Before the game we stopped at the Varsity for lunch, while we where eating lunch Pernetti stopped by and sat down to talk. Sure a lot of the talk focus on family and thing likes that. Pernetti did not have to stop and talk he could have just walked by and continued on his way, but that is not who he is. I know that former AD Bob Mulcahy would have never done that.
Every game day, Pernetti would greets the team getting off the bus right before the Scarlet Walk. He was part of the family. Not an outsider and that is why people loved him on that campus. And lets not forget, Tim helped lead the school from what potential could be an athletic abyss and joining the Big 10.
Since coming back to Rutgers, Pernetti has transformed Athletics making several key coaching hires in various sports. He has further helped Rutgers to generate new sources of revenue in venue naming rights concessions, Nike merchandise and corporate hospitality and tailgating Rutgers Block Party.
Sure he did not handle the Mike Rice situation that well but one mistake does not shape a career. As a fan of Rutgers football, I will always be thankful for what Tim did for us and in 2014 when we first host our Big 10 game I will as they say pour some out for Tim. Thanks again Tim.
1 comment:
Well for me Tim, has a big contribution in coaching different college teams and sports and he really do his responsible as a coach as a mentor.
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