Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood returns from suspension

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers coach Kyle Flood returned to his coaching duties Monday and apologized for contacting a faculty member about a player's grade.

Flood spoke to reporters Monday for the first time since serving a three game suspension. He said he should have known the rules, and doesn't have concerns about his job security going forward.

''I've had the opportunity to apologize for this situation to the team, to my family, but I'd like to take the opportunity now to apologize to the entire Rutgers community, to the students, to the alumni, and especially to the faculty,'' Flood said.

Rutgers had suspended Flood and fined him $50,000. While he could coach during the week, Flood could not coach on game days and was not allowed to be in contact with the team on game days. He was also not allowed to speak to the media during his suspension.

Flood declined to go in to details of his transgressions, referring to the school's report on its investigation.

Flood said he wasn't trying to skirt the rules by using a private email and meeting with the professor without wearing any Rutgers gear.

''The issue with the private email was really just to protect the student-athlete, a student-athlete whose academic record had already been, to some degree, on public display when it shouldn't have been,'' Flood said. ''The meeting with the professor was in on open courtyard in broad daylight.''

While Rutgers President Robert Barchi said termination was considered, Flood doesn't feel like his job is on thin ice.

''I've never felt that way,'' Flood said. ''I feel I've got an excellent relationship with Dr. Barchi. I'll leave his comments to him to comment on, but I feel fully supported.''

Flood also said he expects star receiver Leonte Carroo and others to conduct themselves professionally while at the football training center.

Carroo was reinstated to the program last week following a suspension because he was accused of throwing a woman outside the facility. The woman had worked for Rutgers as a recruiting hostess. The charges were dropped and Caroo's lawyers said he never put his hands on the woman.

''I don't begin to think that I can control the personal relationships of students with other students when they're outside of this building,'' Flood said. ''It's not something that I ask them about or not something I get involved with.''

Flood said he and his program will cooperate with the Kansas City law firm hired to investigate possible NCAA infractions.

''We have a very transparent program, and we'll fully cooperate with anything the university wants to look at,'' Flood said.

Rutgers went 1-2 in Flood's absence. The Scarlet Knights travel to Indiana on Saturday.