Report: Rutgers coach Kyle Flood 'likely' emailed part-time lecturer
The Rutgers faculty member that Scarlet Knights coach Kyle Flood emailed about cornerback Nadir Barnwell was reportedly "likely" a part-time faculty member making less than $5,000 per class.
According to NJ.com, the faculty union at Rutgers believes Flood, who made $987,000 last year as head football coach, was contacting a part-time teacher.
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But union officials suspect the instructor who received Flood's email related to an academic issue involving his player is a part-time adjunct professor in the Mason Gross School of the Arts on the New Brunswick campus, said David Hughes, president of Rutgers' faculty union.
"You can imagine how someone in those situations would feel," Hughes said. "A guy earning a million dollars is talking to an instructor earning less than $5,000."
Flood is under university investigation for the email. The NCAA forbids coaches from pressuring teachers about the grades of athletes. Barnwell, a junior, may be in danger of not qualifying academically to play in 2015.
The coach is cooperating with the investigation. Flood said in a statement before Tuesday's practice that communication with faculty members was not uncommon.
"Any correspondence that I had with a professor in regards to a student athlete would really be of this nature; one – to be in support of whatever decision that faculty member made," Flood's statement read. "And two – to inquire as to whether or not there would be an opportunity to earn a better grade. This practice is not unusual at Rutgers. Many students all over campus receive what are called T grades, doing work outside when the class ends that semester to earn a better grade."
However, Hughes told NJ.com he was concerned about the "firewall" preventing faculty members from being influenced and disagreed with Flood's assessment of the practice of coaches communicating regularly with faculty.
He also said that there's an understanding that only academic support personnel should communicate with teachers about students.
"Obviously, we are concerned to maintain the firewall that protects instructors from any type of influence," said Hughes, a veteran anthropology professor. "It would be extremely helpful if President Barchi would make a statement. We would like him to reaffirm the autonomy of the faculty."
Rutgers declined comment to the media group through a spokesperson.
For more Rutgers news, visit ScarletRNation.com.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
