William Paterson forfeits game to protest Jose Rebimbas' firing
— -- A Division III men's basketball team in New Jersey forfeited a game Tuesday night in protest of the recent firing of its longtime coach.
William Paterson walked off the floor shortly before tipoff of its home matchup against Ramapo. A video on Instagram showed players leaving their warm-up shirts in a pile on the court.
The school's athletic department later confirmed that the team forfeited the game.
The move comes just days after longtime coach Jose Rebimbas announced that he had been fired. Assistant Brian Chapman is serving as the acting head coach.
"It is with great sadness and extreme frustration that after today I will not be coaching the basketball team at William Paterson University," Rebimbas wrote in a Facebook post. "WP has been my home and family for more than 20 years and yet the University has taken action to remove me from the service I love. People I have trusted and served with have defied logic and are pursing my termination because of a misunderstanding over a facility rental fee for a camp that I run.
"These actions come despite the University hearing officer determining that termination was not warranted. The University has unfairly and illegally taken my right to coach and mentor the student-athletes I love. I am prepared to fight the actions of William Paterson University and restore my good name and that of the program."
According to the Asbury Park Press, Rebimbas was 384-168 at the school, guiding it to six conference titles and nine NCAA tournament berths. He was a member of Seton Hall's 1989 Final Four team.
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