Former RMU Coach Mike Rice Fired From Rutgers

A former Robert Morris University basketball coach has been fired from his head coaching job at Rutgers University after coming under fire for a video that shows him using abusive language, shoving and kicking basketball players during practices.

According to ESPN, Mike Rice was fired Wednesday following mounting criticism on a state and national level from the videotape broadcast Tuesday on ESPN's "Outside The Lines."

The aired video—which shows Rice shoving, grabbing and throwing balls at players and using anti-gay slurs—prompted sharp criticism on social media, including from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, NBA star LeBron James and the head of the New Jersey Assembly.

Rice helped Robert Morris to two NCAA tournament appearances and was one of the hot coaching candidates in the spring of 2010, ESPN reports.

He was hired three years ago at Rutgers after coaching three seasons from 2007-10 at RMU. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Rice is 44-51 at Rutgers, including 16-38 in the Big East, after going 73-31 in three seasons at Robert Morris.

Rutgers Athletic director Tim Pernetti was given a copy of the video in late November by a former employee. He suspended Rice for three games a month later, fined him $50,000 and ordered him to attend anger management classes, the P-G reports.

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