The Detroit Pistons have fired assistant general manager Rob Murphy, who has been on leave since October when an investigation began into Murphy’s alleged interactions with a former female employee. The Detroit Free Press broke the news of Murphy’s firing following an inquiry made to the Pistons.
“Rob Murphy no longer works for the Detroit Pistons or Motor City Cruise, in any capacity. Mr. Murphy was recently terminated for violation of company policy and the terms of his employment agreement. The facts that gave rise to his termination surfaced during a review, assisted by a national law firm, of allegations made by a former employee,” the team told the Free Press in a statement.
Murphy, a Detroit native, joined the Pistons organization in 2021 as the president of the Motor City Cruise and was promoted to assistant general manager the next season. He spent nearly 20 years coaching in the college ranks, including 2011-21 as the head coach at Eastern Michigan.
Prior to joining Eastern Michigan as head coach, he spent seven years as an assistant under Jim Boeheim at Syracuse, where Pistons general manager Troy Weaver previously served as an assistant, and an organization he maintains close ties.
The news of Murphy being placed on leave and the organization opening an investigation into potential workplace misconduct occurred just one month after the NBA world was rocked by the Celtics suspending Ime Udoka for a season following similar allegations of misconduct.
Udoka eventually landed a new role as head coach of the Houston Rockets this offseason, and while one of the top head coaches on the open market, the Pistons were reportedly never seriously interested.