The former Rutgers assistant coach now has the reputation of whistle-blower and snitch after getting the ball rolling on the whole mistreatment controversy.
In April, ESPN’s Outside the Lines released practice tapes provided by Murdock’s attorneys, showing Rice shouting gay slurs and profanities at his players, as well as physically abusing them. Rice was fired on April 3.
The Star-Ledger is reporting that a day before his contract as director of basketball operations at Rutgers expired last summer, Murdock told other members of Rice’s staff that the head coach treated his players “like slaves,” according to a taped conversation obtained by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
The tape, which is approximately 11 minutes in length, includes Murdoch making repeated references to slavery and also contains profanity. The tape was obtained by the Chronicle of Higher Education as part of an open-records request.
“Just cracking the whip,” Murdock says in the recording. “That’s all you’re doing. You’re cracking the whip.” And, he continues, when a player “can’t deliver you cut his toe off like … Kunta Kinte.”
A Rutgers spokesperson declined comment because there is pending litigation involved.
Murdock’s comments, according to the Chronicle, were directed at David Cox, who served as an assistant to Rice and has been retained on staff by new coach Eddie Jordan. Cox, like Murdoch, is black. In the recordings, Murdock tells Cox that he is determined to tell the truth about Rice.
Murdock said he didn’t expose Rice in the past because “you’ve got to respect the boss.”
https://soundcloud.com/chronicleofhighered/eric-murdock-the-full
