A college basketball coach in Philadelphia is being investigated by the district attorney after one of his players said the coach attacked him during practice last month, the DA's office said Tuesday.
Holy Family University men's basketball coach John O'Connor, 51, was suspended last week after he was caught on video roughing up sophomore forward Matt Kravchuk during a heated rebound drill on Jan. 25.
In the tape, O'Connor can be seen charging Kravchuk, 19, and knocking him down with an elbow to the face after the player grabs a loose ball during a drill the coach called "combat rebound."
"It was totally out of line for my coach to do," Kravchuk told Philadelphia's WTXF-TV."We're just doing a drill, and the next thing I know I was on the floor."
As he lies dazed on the court, the coach kicks him in the butt, urging him to get up, the video shows.
After the sophomore limps to the back of the line with a bloody lip, the coach can be seen chewing him out – screaming, "Got a little [expletive] blood on ya? Good!" – before eventually booting the player from practice, shouting, "Get the [expletive] out of here!"
WATCH VIDEO BELOW
Kravchuk reported the incident to the athletic department the day it happened and was later told the coach had been reprimanded, his lawyer, Jack Cohen, said.
But the student complained to police on Feb. 11 because he felt the school hadn't gone far enough, Cohen said.
In the police report, Kravchuk said he suffered a bloody nose and scratches to his lip and forehead. Later, he complained of an injured wrist and has been wearing a brace, according to WTXF-TV.
Holy Family sophomore Matt Kravchuk, left, has not rejoined the team since the incident with Coach O'Connor, right. (Fox Philadelphia, Philadelphia Daily News)
He has not returned to the team since the incident.
Holy Family suspended the coach last Thursday.
O'Connor told the Philadelphia Daily News that he hadn't meant to hurt Kravchuck and that practice was especially intense that day because the team was coming off an embarrassing loss.
"I have always been very hands-on with my players," the coach said. "Normally, it's me that ends up getting hurt. I never had any intention of ever hurting one of my players."
In an unsigned statement, the Holy Family players said, ""In each of our hearts, we know Coach O'Connor realizes the mistake he made and accepts full responsibility for his actions," the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
O'Connor was an assistant coach at Georgia Tech before coming to the small Division II school last year.
Tasha Jamerson, a spokesman for the district attorney, said investigators would decide whether to file formal charges in the next few weeks.
No comments:
Post a Comment