Abusive, Gay Epithet-Hurling Rutgers Coach Sent Packing

Mike Rice is no longer the basketball coach at New Jersey's Rutgers University after ESPN aired a video of Rice getting violent with players and referring to one with an antigay slur.

ESPN aired the video Tuesday, and Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti fired Rice today. Pernetti knew of the video, disseminated by a former Rutgers athletics employee, since at least December but tried to "rehabilitate" Rice instead of fire him.

"I am responsible for the decision to attempt a rehabilitation of Coach Rice," Pernetti said in a statement. "Dismissal and corrective action were debated in December and I thought it was in the best interest of everyone to rehabilitate, but I was wrong. Moving forward, I will work to regain the trust of the Rutgers community."

Many people, including Miami Heat star LeBron James and Republican New Jersey governor Chris Christie expressed anger over Rice's actions that were captured in the video. Rutgers is New Jersey's major public university and the institution gay student Tyler Clementi was attending when he killed himself not long after being outed and harassed by his Rutgers roommate.

Watch an ESPN report below that includes clips from the video.