HD Rutgers Basketball Coach Mike Rice Abusing His Players 2013

Summary

The video highlights the intense coaching style of Mike Rice, head basketball coach at Rutter, who faced suspension for his aggressive behavior during practices. The footage reveals disturbing incidents of Rice throwing basketballs at players, even targeting their heads. Former NBA player Eric Murdoch, hired as the director of player development, describes witnessing Rice’s abusive tactics, including physical contact and verbal aggression. Murdoch raised concerns with the athletic director but was shocked when Rice wasn’t immediately fired. The video underscores the controversy surrounding Rice's coaching methods and the lack of immediate disciplinary action.

Takeaways

• 😀 Mike Rice, the head basketball coach at Rutter, is known for his fiery and intense coaching style.
• 😀 Rice was suspended for three games in December 2012 due to his behavior during team practices, though the school didn't provide specific details for the suspension.
• 😀 The suspension was partly triggered by footage showing Rice throwing basketballs at players, even targeting their heads.
• 😀 Additional footage of Rutter's practices revealed hundreds of hours of questionable behavior by Rice during the previous two seasons.
• 😀 Some of the footage captured Rice physically abusing players by heaving balls at them from point-blank range, and verbally berating them.
• 😀 Eric Murdoch, a former NBA player, was hired by Rice in 2010 as Rutter's Director of Player Development, and he witnessed disturbing behavior firsthand.
• 😀 Murdoch reported Rice's behavior to Rutter's athletic director, explaining that Rice would act differently when the athletic director was present, but resort to abusive tactics when he was alone with the players.
• 😀 Murdoch was particularly shocked by Rice's physical actions toward players, including kicking and striking them, as well as the aggressive verbal abuse.
• 😀 The video footage caused Murdoch to question why Rice had not been immediately fired after these incidents were witnessed.
• 😀 The overall behavior portrayed in the footage sparked outrage, leading to increased scrutiny of Rice's coaching methods and questioning of Rutter's response to the situation.

Q & A

What led to Mike Rice's suspension from Rutter?

Mike Rice was suspended for three games in December due to his behavior at team practices, although the school did not provide specific reasons at the time.

What kind of coaching tactics did Mike Rice use that led to controversy?

Mike Rice was known for using intense and aggressive coaching tactics, including throwing basketballs at players, sometimes at their heads, and physically putting his hands on players.

How was Rice's behavior documented by Rutter?

Rutter's officials reviewed a roughly 30-minute video of Rice's behavior, along with hundreds of hours of additional footage from practices over the previous two seasons.

What was the reaction of Eric Murdoch to Mike Rice's coaching style?

Eric Murdoch, who was hired as Rutter's Director of Player Development, was shocked by Rice's coaching style, which included physical and verbal abuse. He went to Rutter's athletic director to report these issues.

What specific actions did Mike Rice take that raised concern during practices?

Rice was seen heaving basketballs at players, including throwing them at their heads, physically kicking players, and verbally abusing them.

How did Mike Rice behave differently when certain people were around?

Rice would act positively and clapped when athletic director Mike Tetti was in the gym. However, when Tetti left, Rice's behavior changed, and he would become verbally abusive towards the players.

What did Eric Murdoch witness during practices that led him to seek intervention?

Murdoch witnessed Mike Rice physically and verbally abusing players, which included throwing basketballs at them from point-blank range and physically kicking them, leading him to report the incidents.

Why was Eric Murdoch surprised that Mike Rice wasn't fired immediately?

Murdoch was shocked that Mike Rice wasn't fired immediately upon the revelation of his abusive coaching tactics, especially after seeing the footage of his actions during practice.

What was the response from the Rutter administration to the video evidence of Rice's actions?

The Rutter administration initially suspended Mike Rice for three games but did not immediately fire him after the video evidence surfaced. The suspension was a result of the public display of Rice's coaching tactics.

How did Mike Rice's coaching style differ from conventional coaching methods?

Rice's coaching style was extremely aggressive, using physical and emotional intimidation, which is contrary to more conventional coaching methods that focus on motivation, encouragement, and player development.