Rutgers yesterday "appointed Kevin Lorincz as interim Director of Athletic Communications," filling the void "left when chief communications officer Jason Baum announced his resignation on Saturday," according to Keith Sargeant of the Newark STAR-LEDGER. Rutgers "is expected to conduct a national search for Baum's permanent replacement" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 12/29). In New Jersey, Tara Sullivan writes Baum's resignation "surprised exactly no one who covers the Rutgers program, but upset nearly everyone who has dealt with Rutgers across Baum’s nine seasons." Whispers of Baum’s "imminent departure" had "been circulating for weeks." This "was not a voluntary resignation." Sullivan cites sources as saying that Baum "was fired" by Rutgers AD Julie Hermann. None of the sources "supported the decision." Sullivan notes Baum "earned the respect of his colleagues with moves like the one he pulled off Friday in Detroit, when he worked the Quick Lane Bowl despite spending the morning in the emergency room with kidney stones." The fact that Hermann "chose to push Baum out speaks to her lack of understanding about the work he did, and how well he did it." She "inherited him from the prior regime." Rutgers once again "is paying the price for sticking with its decision to hire Hermann" (Bergen RECORD, 12/29). In Newark, Steve Politi cites sources as saying that Hermann "made Baum the fall guy for her own collection of media gaffes." Hermann "couldn't fire the media so she fired the media guy, and the departure of the popular SID left many in the department stunned and angry" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 12/29).
