Mike Rice has lots of regrets, and a new job

Mike Rice says he has learned from the mistakes he made during the Rutgers basketball abuse scandal, and that he is a changed man.

"I won't be perfect moving forward, but I've changed," Rice told Robin Roberts in an interview for ABC's "20/20."  "Having that taken away, your dream job … and having it done in such a visible way … and hurting the people closest to me … it changes a person."

The interview will air Friday night at 10.

Rice, a Fordham graduate, was fired in April after three seasons at Rutgers, following an abuse scandal that drew nationwide attention once video of the incidents, which included him throwing basketballs at players, shoving players and yelling homophobic slurs, including "f—ing f—-t" and "fairy"  was leaked. Last December, he was suspended three games without pay and fined $50,000 by then-athletic director Tim Pernetti for abusive behavior toward his players. But once the video was aired by ESPN months later, it touched off a nationwide outcry with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and State Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver among those demanding Rice's removal, and Rice eventually was fired.

"My first reaction, when I saw the tape was one of embarrassment, of shock, of sadness," Rice said.

The homophobic slurs touched a raw nerve on the Rutgers campus following the 2010 suicide of student Tyler Clementi, who jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge after learning his roommate had secretly taped Clementi's intimate encounter with another man in their dorm room.

Rice told Roberts that his use of homophobic language was "idiotic," because, he said, "I wasn't thinking that I was shouting at Tyler Clementi, or anybody else, who was a gay or a lesbian."

Rice said after he was hired at Rutgers, he had a "chip on my shoulders" because he perceived his team was being portrayed as "the leftovers and the inexperienced coach from a small school in western Pennsylvania (Robert Morris)."

Said Rice: "I thought it was necessary to get my team or that individual … to be tougher."

He said he has apologized to his former players.

"You know, whether it was texting, whether it was calling, whether it was, handwritten letters, whether it's email, they don't deserve this and especially the first year's team," he said.  "Even though we were out-manned every single night, they really, really fought hard for me…and they're almost embarrassed about that fact now.  They're embarrassed about being a Rutgers basketball player."

Rice has taken a job as the director of Hoop Group Headquarters in Neptune, N.J., just seven months after he was fired amid a nationwide controversy, the New Jersey-based grass-roots organization's president, Rob Kennedy, told The Post.

The fiery, passionate and at times volatile Rice worked with Hoop Group before launching his coaching career, serving as the instruction academy's director from 2001-04. Kennedy said Rice will be running in-house leagues and tournaments as well as instructional workouts at the facility for Hoop Group, which prides itself on teaching basketball fundamentals and showcasing top talent from the northeast with camps, as well as AAU and high-school tournaments.

"Mike has acknowledged his mistakes and has worked hard to make positive changes," Kennedy said in a text message to The Post. "He has more passion and love of the game than any coach I have ever been around. I'm happy that Mike is able to share that energy with our Hoop Group participants."

Rutgers hired former Scarlet Knights star and NBA head coach Eddie Jordan to replace Rice, who went 44-51 in three years. Rice had coached Robert Morris to the NCAA Tournament in 2009 and 2010.

Two weeks after his dismissal, Rice was spotted coaching his daughter's seventh-grade AAU team, and had the support of the kids' parents.

Prior to the "20/20" interview, Rice had not made any public comments since the day he was fired, but since May he has reportedly worked with basketball rehabilitation guru John Lucas, a former NBA player and coach, on his anger management issues at the John Lucas Wellness and Aftercare Program in Houston.

Rice also participated as a speaker at the Nike Skills Academy camp in Union, N.J. in June. He was spotted behind the St. John's bench during Monday's exhibition game against Humboldt State.

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