The three-game suspension previously handed to Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood has expired. The Scarlet Knights, after going 1-2 in his absence, will have Flood back on thew sideline this weekend when Rutgers visits Indiana. He will do starting this week as he meets with the media for the first time since being suspended three games and fined $50,000 by Rutgers, and those covering the team have some questions they would like answered.
Ryan Dunleavy of Asbury Park Press has five questions he would like to see answered by Flood, and they are not at all without reason. For starters, any explanation for the decision-making involved in contacting a professor that led to his suspension would be nice. At this point Flood has nothing to lose or hide (at least, let’s hope he has nothing left to hide). Flood probably should have been fired for his actions and he got off with a three-game suspension instead and still has the support of boosters. Honestly, what will it take now to force Rutgers to remove Flood as head coach? Flood has already survived the storm it would seem, so why not come clean and move on?
Flood can play his return to the head coaching duties two ways. He can choose to decline to comment on the events that led to his suspension and attempt to shift the focus forward to Indiana, even if that means consistently declining comment question after question. If he does that, he must keep his cool, knowing there will be pressure to answer at least some questions. Losing control of emotions would not play well at all for Flood under the circumstances.
Flood should have a very tight rope to walk moving forward as head coach. Illinois and Maryland have already canned their coaches for various reasons, and Rutgers probably should have been the third Big Ten program to change head coaches as well given the information revealed from its investigation of Flood. Flood is not irreplaceable and there will always be head coaches out there to be hired. Flood was given a second chance by Rutgers. It is now up to him to make the most of it now. Coming clean and honestly addressing the issues he is responsible for would be a good first step.