Mike Rice, the former Rutgers basketball coach who was fired by the school after video of him verbally and physically abusing his players emerged, was ejected from one of his son’s recent high school basketball games.
NJ.com reports and Rice confirmed that he was kicked out of his son’s Feb. 7 varsity boys basketball game for Point Pleasant Beach High School against visiting St. Rose High School. NJ.com says Point Pleasant Beach Lt. Joe Michigan shared what happened.
Apparently a call went against Point Pleasant Beach, leading fans to react negatively. After the call, an official looked up to the stands and pointed to Rice and another person and had them ejected.
NJ.com says Rice confirmed the ejection and described it as “a complete misunderstanding.”
“There was probably 700 people screaming at the top of their lungs,” Rice told NJ.com. “He pointed over at where our [team’s] parents were sitting. I still have a hard time believing he actually said me because I probably would say two things the whole time. I can actually count on one hand how many times I’ve commented to a referee this whole year.”
Rice’s son’s team lost the game, but they are considered one of the best teams in the state.
In defense of Rice, some parents say the former coach was singled out by the officials. The school’s athletic director also said they had no problem with the behavior of any of the parents.
Since being fired by Rutgers nearly two years ago, Rice has been a regular at his son’s basketball games. We also learned that he was coaching 12-year-old girls in AAU basketball and that the parents were supportive. The video of Rice abusing his players in practice was alarming, and it led him to give a tearful apology. Maybe in time he will be able to return to coaching at a higher level.
H/T Cam Smith
