By ANDREW VAZZANO
Newly appointed men’s basketball coach Eddie Jordan did not graduate from Rutgers University, according to Josh Koblin of Deadspin.
According to an ad Rutgers posted to hire an assistant coach, a Bachelor’s Degree is required for that position. However, Jordan doesn’t necessarily need a Bachelor’s Degree to be the head coach at Rutgers.
“Hiring decisions, including coaches’ qualifications, are made by the school,” an NCAA spokesman told SNY.tv.
On its website, Rutgers said of Jordan: “RU’s all-time leader in both assists (585) and steals (220), “Fast Eddie” scored 1,632 career points and earned honorable mention All-American honors as a senior in 1977 before earning a degree in health and physical education.”
Koblin contacted the Rutgers registrar office, who told him that Jordan, “did not receive a degree from us.”
Jordan has earned 103 credits, according to the school’s registrar office. Koblin writes:
According to the registrar’s office, Jordan had earned 103 credits at Rutgers, short of the threshold for a degree (the official told me that the “minimum” threshold for a degree is usually 110 credits and, depending on the year, sometimes even a little higher—more like 120). I asked if it was possible that he finished those credits at a different school and got a degree later. The official said there was no record of transferred credits from another institution.
While Jordan left Rutgers in 1977, he came back after retiring from the NBA in 1984 to finish his degree and explained the mishap to ESPN.com.
“Some of the professors are still around and some are gone but they all know I was in class and did my work,” Jordan said. “There was arrogance on my part when I was told I didn’t register right and then I left to (coach at) Old Dominion. I was told my classes were never recorded. I saw a transcript. I will have to find it. I was there and I completed the work. My professors that are still there know that. That’s it.”
It wasn’t until after his final semester that Jordan found out he wasn’t registered.
“I went back to Rutgers in 1984-85 as a voluntary assistant to complete my studies,” Jordan said. “I didn’t walk. I didn’t get a diploma because I wasn’t registered right. That’s it. I was 28 and didn’t take care of my business. It was never an issue.”
And Rutgers – who admitted their mistake – is standing behind Jordan, as the university released the following statement:
“While Rutgers was in error when it reported that Eddie Jordan had earned a degree from Rutgers University, neither Rutgers nor the NCAA requires a head coach to hold a baccalaureate degree. Eddie Jordan was a four-year letterman and was inducted into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame in 1980. Rutgers sought Eddie for the head coach position as a target-of-opportunity hire based on his remarkable public career.
“Eddie Jordan was inducted into the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 2004 and he has been a part of the Rutgers family since before 1977.
“His athletic skills and leadership and his professional accomplishments have been a source of pride for Rutgers for more than three decades. We are excited to have him as our men’s basketball coach, and we look forward to many winning seasons.”
You can view Jordan’s transcript from the university here.
For Deadspin’s full report, click here.
