Kyle Flood Fired After Four Seasons As Rutgers Head Football Coach, A.D. Axed Too


Rutgers University announced the firings of head football coach Kyle Flood and athletic director Julie Hermann on Sunday, according to ESPN. Flood began his tenure in Piscataway, New Jersey, as the coach of the Scarlet Knights in 2012, sporting an overall record of 27-24. However, the 2015 campaign ended with a disappointing 4-8 mark, making Rutgers ineligible for a bowl game.

Hermann, meanwhile, was ousted after becoming Rutgers’ first female athletic director in 2013. Her original contract was scheduled to run through 2018. Hermann was immediately replaced by Pat Hobbs who had previously served in the same role at Seton Hall University from 2009-11. Hermann’s hiring came in the wake of the Tim Rice scandal that resulted in the firing of then athletic director Tim Pernetti.

Kyle Flood Wearing Headset in Rutgers Game vs Wisconsin
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

Kyle Flood’s final game at Rutgers resulted in a 46-41 loss to Maryland, despite leading the Terrapins by as many as 21 points in the first half. Flood failed in his 16th and final Big Ten game, resulting in a 4-12 record within the conference, just 1-7 this year. The Asbury Park Press was the first to report Flood’s heartfelt thank you to the Rutgers community, which the former head coach conveyed via Twitter (As of this posting, Flood’s Twitter handle remained KyleFloodRU).

Flood started at Rutgers in 2005 where he was solely the offensive line coach for two seasons. He assumed Assistant Head Coaching duties at the school in 2008 and held the position until being named the head man in 2012. Flood was an offensive lineman himself playing for Iona College from 1989-92. Before landing at Rutgers, he spent various coaching stints at St. Francis Prep, C.W. Post, Hofstra, and Delaware.

The year 2015 was not a banner year for the Rutgers football program, overall record not withstanding. What will end in a head coach’s dismissal, began in controversy when Flood inappropriately emailed a faculty member to discuss the academic standing of one of his players. Flood was suspended three games and fined $50,000. He would miss the final two games of September against Penn State and Kansas respectively, and then the October 10 game at home against the Michigan State Spartans. The Scarlet Knights went 1-2 during that span, defeating the Jayhawks in the middle game of the three. It would also be Flood’s final home victory. Flood returned to help engineer a 55-52 win over Indiana on October 17. However, Rutgers would then drop four consecutive games by an average of 32.5 points. Flood’s final overall win as Rutgers’ head coach came on November 21, a ten-point road win over Army.

To add insult to injury amidst this tumultuous season at RU, seven different football players were arrested earlier in the year for offenses ranging from assault to home invasion. Flood also suspended five more players for violating team rules related to breaking curfew. All in all, Flood could not survive the black eye that Rutgers football had become. The school president released this statement regarding his former head coach’s removal.

“Kyle Flood has been a loyal and dedicated member of our community for more than a decade and our head football coach for four seasons, during which his teams won 26 games and played in three bowl games. However, our continued struggles on the field combined with several off the field issues have convinced me that we need new leadership of our football program.”

Rutgers is the fourth Big Ten program to fire both their head football coach and athletic director since last October. The Asbury Park Press speculates as to who might replace Flood, with names that include former Miami coach Al Golden, current Temple coach Matt Rhule, and a very familiar name to Rutgers’ fans: Greg Schiano, who manned the sidelines in Piscataway from 2001-11.

[Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images]

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