USC men’s basketball coach Eric Musselman accused of launching racist tirade at star player in explosive lawsuit

USC men’s basketball head coach Eric Musselman “launched into a profanity-laced, racially-charged post-game locker room tirade” against one of his star players last season, according to an explosive new lawsuit obtained by the California Post.

Chad Baker-Mazara filed the suit in Los Angeles on Monday, claiming that just before he was dismissed from the Trojans in March, Musselman unloaded on him in a racist rant following USC’s Feb. 28 home game vs. Nebraska.

Baker-Mazara played 19 minutes in the contest but exited in the second half after sustaining an injury. The Trojans were blown out, 82-67, and when the team got back to its dressing room, Baker-Mazara claimed in his lawsuit that Musselman “lost his mind.”

Musselman began yelling at the team, and when Baker-Mazara “attempted to address his teammates by saying ‘Hey guys!,’ Coach Musselman erupted at Baker-Mazara, screaming: ‘You shut the f—k up! You are one of the worst teammates anyone can ever have!’,” according to the suit.

“Wow Coach, do you need me to leave,” Baker-Mazara allegedly responded, “because I don’t understand this animosity.”

Baker-Mazara claimed Musselman then told him, “Yes, leave! Go back to the f—king Dominican Republic! Nobody wants you here!! F—k you!”

“The words ‘Go back to the f—king Dominican Republic’ are generally understood by persons of color in the United States originating from the Dominican Republic — and were in fact taken by Baker-Mazara — to be racist and discriminatory, akin to telling an African-American to ‘go back to Africa,’” the lawsuit stated.

“Coach Musselman’s outburst was a direct attack on Baker-Mazara’s national origin and Dominican heritage, made from a position of authority and power by the Head Coach of the team, in front of all of Baker-Mazara’s teammates. The tirade was unprovoked, vicious, and discriminatory.”

The day after the game, Baker-Mazara was dismissed from the team.

---

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

Baker-Mazara accused the university and its agents and representatives of bashing his character to at least one local media outlet shortly after the school announced his departure.

“In truth,” Baker-Mazara’s lawsuit stated, “no investigation was conducted prior to Baker-Mazara’s dismissal. USC did not interview Baker-Mazara, nor did it interview any of his teammates. In fact, USC never provided Baker-Mazara with a stated reason for his dismissal from the Team.”

Baker-Mazara joined the Trojans before the start of the 2025-26 season after he starred at Auburn from 2023-25. He claimed in his suit that during USC’s recruitment of him, they agreed to pay him “a substantial fixed sum of money” via NIL agreements.

However, Baker-Mazara alleged that USC had missed a payment, and it was his belief the school had done it on purpose.

It wanted to “‘wait-and-see’ what would happen in the Nebraska game and whether the Trojans would make the NCAA Tournament,” Baker-Mazara’s lawsuit stated.

“If the Trojans lost and their NCAA Tournament hopes were dashed, USC would deny payment and save for itself the remaining very substantial balance for its next recruiting class as Baker-Mazara was out of eligibility.”

Baker-Mazara claimed that after he was booted from the program, USC moved to terminate his NIL agreements by stating he had violated a “morals clause.”

“The morals clause is hopelessly vague, overbroad, and unenforceable,” Baker-Mazara’s lawsuit alleged. “But in any event, reliance on the morals clause was entirely pretextual — a post hoc justification manufactured to allow USC to conserve its NIL funding pool and avoid paying the remaining substantial fixed sum owed to [Baker-Mazara] after the season had collapsed and Baker-Mazara’s services could no longer take the Trojan basketball team where it wanted to go.”

Baker-Mazara, 26, said “none of the remaining fixed sum USC is obligated to pay under the Agreements has been paid.”

He also alleged in his suit that because of USC and Musselman’s conduct, his NBA draft stock “was substantially damaged” and he lost “out on other professional opportunities.”

He’s suing for breach of contract, conversion and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, among others.

USC did not immediately have a comment when reached by The Post about the allegations late Monday afternoon.

Baker-Mazara, who also played for Duquesne and San Diego State in his collegiate basketball career, was not selected in the 2026 NBA Draft and is expected to play professionally in Puerto Rico this upcoming season.

Musselman, meanwhile, is entering his third season as USC’s head coach with high expectations.