Assistant Coach Arrested After Postgame Confrontation

A Nettleton assistant basketball coach was arrested after a postgame confrontation at a fifth grade boys basketball tournament escalated into alleged threats and physical contact with a school administrator.

The incident happened on December 6, 2025, following the conclusion of a youth tournament held on the Valley View School campus. Mallik Martarius Murray, 30, was serving as an assistant coach for a team representing Nettleton Schools.

According to court records, Murray approached a Valley View player during the postgame huddle to address a shoving incident that reportedly occurred on the court just after the final whistle. A Valley View principal stepped in and told Murray he did not need to speak with the opposing team’s player.

Authorities say Murray then pushed the principal and verbally threatened him while using profanity. Murray was escorted out of the building but later returned and continued making threats toward the administrator. The confrontation was captured on video, which reportedly shows Murray being restrained by others multiple times.

Murray was taken into custody and charged with first degree terroristic threatening, a Class D felony, along with third degree assault, a misdemeanor.

During a court appearance Friday before District Judge David Boling, the judge indicated the charges could potentially be reduced to a misdemeanor. Citing that possibility and Murray’s lack of a prior criminal record, Boling granted an own recognizance bond.