Poll: Rutgers Right To Fire Basketball Coach
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A new poll finds a clear majority of New Jersey residents who heard about the Rutgers coaching scandal think the school was right to fire basketball coach Mike Rice for abusing players.
The Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press poll released Tuesday also shows many believe the coach's pattern of throwing balls at players, shoving them and using gay slurs is fairly common among high-profile college coaches.
While 82 percent believe Rice had to go, 70 percent say the scandal has not changed their opinion of the state's largest university.
More than half think Athletic Director Tim Pernetti needed to resign, while 51 percent say university President Robert Barchi doesn't need to leave.
The telephone poll of 806 New Jerseyans was taken April 11-14. It has an error margin of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
