Murphy's Name Floated To Take Over Rutgers, But He's Not Interested: Report

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — Effective June 30, Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway will resign as Rutgers president.

And a new NJ.com report says Gov. Phil Murphy's name was floated as the next person to take over the helm of Rutgers. There will be an election for New Jersey governor this November and Murphy, who is wrapping up his second term, cannot run again.

However, those same sources told NJ.com that Murphy is not interested in the job.

Rutgers hopes to have a new president in place by July 1. A university source also told NJ.com Rutgers is down to a final few candidates and “should make a decision soon.”

Holloway will quit once he finishes his fifth year at the helm of Rutgers on June 30. His contract with Rutgers did not have an end date, but its terms called for serving at least five years, which he did. Holloway told the Star Ledger in this exclusive interview last September that his decision to quit was partly due to the criticism he received on the job — even coming from Gov. Murphy — and security risks to his wife and children during the 2023 professors' strike and the Palestinian solidarity camps set up on campus in late April 2024.

"These jobs are difficult in good times but when you’re facing absolutely no-win situations constantly, in this era of hyperbole about failing to do X, Y and Z … none of us signed up for that," Holloway told the Star Ledger's Tom Moran. "Just like I didn’t sign up to have a police detail with me everywhere I go."

Holloway successfully led Rutgers through several peaks of intense turmoil: In 2023, the Rutgers campus was brought to a standstill by its first-ever faculty strike. At Murphy's urging, Holloway met with faculty union leaders and brought the strike to an end within five day, agreeing to "substantial" salary increases for full-time professors and teaching assistants.

Then last April, Palestinian solidarity groups set up tent camps in the heart of Rutgers main campus. While there were some physical clashes with police and counter-protesters, Holloway reached a peaceful resolution and students peacefully took the tents down after just four days — unlike at Princeton and Columbia universities where the tent camps stayed up for weeks, and protesters took over buildings.

Also, so far Rutgers has not been threatened by the Trump administration with the yanking of federal funding, threats from Trump issued to both Harvard and Columbia.

Holloway was also called to testify before U.S. Congress about his handling of the pro-Gaza protests, which he did last spring. But he emerged from the hearing unscathed, unlike the presidents of Harvard and University of Pennsylvania, both of whom lost their jobs.

Holloway is trained as a U.S. historian and taught at Yale before coming to Rutgers. He said he plans to take a paid sabbatical in the 2025-2026 academic year, and then plans to join the Rutgers faculty full time in 2026.

Rutgers President Holloway Announces He Will Resign At End Of Year (Sept. 2024)

Gaza Solidarity Camp Set Up On Rutgers Main Campus (April 29, 2024)