Rutgers basketball coach, Mike Rice was caught on video abusing his players, hitting them with blows from a ball to their heads and bodies, and shouting at them with homophobic slurs.

The video was compiled by director of player development, Erick Murdoch who was hired by Rice. Murdoch claims he was given the boot after blowing the whistle on the Rutgers coach, which he plans to fight and sue for wrongful termination. In December last year Rice was suspended from three games and was given a fine of $50,000 for behaviour during team practices after athletics director, Tim Prenetti viewed the video.

Murdoch could not believe that a coach is capable of belittling his players like Rice did.

To see your coach physically put his hands on players, physically kicking players. Firing balls at player at point blank range. The verbal abuse, the belittling.

A spokesman for the the New Jersey Governor, said:

Obviously deeply disturbed by the conduct displayed and strongly condemns this behavior. It’s not the type of leadership we should be showing our young people, and clearly there are questions about this behavior that need to be answered.

Outraged fans are calling for Rice’s firing. Sports columnist Steve Politi said:

Rutgers can’t have a basketball coach, a man who represents the university on national TV two dozen times a year, screaming the word ‘faggot’ at a player. It can’t move forward with that damning, awful video for the world to see with Rice still earning a hefty paycheck.

[Source: YouTube, Newser]