May 28, 2013 02:15 PM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Rutgers University's new Athletic Director Julie Hermann has received a vote of confidence from the school's president Robert Barchi and from the Board of Governors, but that support was not reciprocated by all.

Hermann told ESPN that Barchi assured her on Monday that she would not lose her job, which she does not officially start until June 17.

"It's been communicated to me (by Barchi) that I'm the athletic director and will lead Rutgers into the Big Ten," Hermann said.

Barchi defended the new AD in a statement and defended the selection process that led Rutgers to Hermann.

"Over the course of the search, Julie's record established her as a proven leader in athletics administration," he said in a statement posted to Rutgers' website. "We remain confident that we have selected an individual who will work in the best interests of all of our student athletes, our athletics teams, and the university."

Hermann also told ESPN that Barchi spoke with the Board of Governors on her behalf and the board responded with expressions of support.

However, Senator Barbara Buono, Republican gubernatorial candidate, was adamant about her disapproval in Barchi's support of Hermann.

"I don't know how many chances we can give this president to mess up," Buono told the Record, of North Jersey, New Jersey on Monday. "I've lost all confidence in his ability to lead the university."

State Senator Raymond Lesniak agreed with Buono, telling the New York Daily News that former Rutgers president Richard McCormick should be rehired.

"I've had problems with Barchi before this. He's just in over his head and not capable of giving a forthright answer," Lesniak told the New York Daily News.

Buono called for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to get involved.

"I have lost confidence in his ability to guide the university out of this imbroglio," she told ­the Star-Ledger of Newark, New Jersey. "If the Board of Governors will not take action, Governor Christie must force their hand."

Barchi stood by his university's search process in his statement, saying Hermann was selected out of 63 candidates and that she stood out immediately.

"The search was coordinated by an experienced executive search firm and included a thorough background check conducted by one of the world's leading private security firms," he said in the statement.

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