Former N.C. State sports medicine director Robert M. Murphy Jr. was arrested in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 23, and is now set to be sent back to North Carolina after a grand jury indictment tied to allegations of sexual abuse by former Wolfpack athletes.
Police in Ocala took Murphy into custody at a home in Northeast Ocala at about 7:50 p.m., according to an arrest report obtained by Austin L. Miller of the Ocala Star-Banner.
Officer S. Price said he and a detective told Murphy about an active North Carolina warrant before placing him under arrest without incident.
Murphy made his first appearance on Sept. 24 before Marion County Judge Lori Cotton. He appeared from the jailhouse courtroom by Zoom while the judge was at the courthouse, and Cotton ordered him held without bail. Murphy also waived any objection to extradition, clearing the way for his transfer back to North Carolina.
ESPN first reported the arrest. On Sept. 14, a Wake County grand jury indicted Murphy on nine felony counts of sexual content under pretext of medical treatment and 23 misdemeanor counts of sexual battery. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office listed all 32 charges.
The case has grown out of accusations from more than 30 former N.C. State athletes. According to The Associated Press, it began with a federal civil lawsuit filed in 2022 by one athlete after Murphy’s decade-long run at the university.
That eventually shifted into state court in 2025 with 14 former N.C. State athletes involved, and the number later climbed to 31. The AP reported that the indictments unsealed Thursday afternoon show the 32 charges are spread across 14 victims and cover alleged conduct from October 2016 through 2021.
N.C. State said Thursday that it was aware of the charges.
“Sexual misconduct of any kind is unacceptable,” the university said. “The health and safety of students and student-athletes is paramount to N.C.
State Athletics and the university. We are aware of the charges filed by Wake County against Robert Murphy.
We will cooperate with law enforcement in this matter.”
In Other News...
Former NC State Official Now Faces Serious Charges In Wolfpack Case
A former N.C. State sports medicine director was arrested in Florida on Sept. 23 and now faces extradition to North Carolina after being indicted on multiple felony and misdemeanor sexual abuse charges. The case has put a painful new spotlight on allegations from more than 30 former Wolfpack athletes, with the indictments tied to incidents said to have taken place from 2016 to 2021.
N.C. State has already acknowledged the charges and said it will cooperate with law enforcement as the case moves forward. For a program that has spent years building trust with athletes and families, the scope of the allegations makes this more than a legal matter, and the next steps in the extradition process will be closely watched in Raleigh. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Faces An App State Twist Fans Will Want To See
NC States long run of dominance against Appalachian State is part of the backdrop here, with the Wolfpack having won all six previous meetings and every one of them coming in Raleigh. This matchup carries a little extra intrigue because the Douglas brothers will be on opposite sides, adding a family angle to a game that already has plenty of local familiarity and a history that has always tilted the same way.
Beyond the storyline, NC States early 2026 season has already given fans a clearer picture of where some of the key pieces fit, from important contributions at multiple positions to the way true freshmen have been worked into the first stretch of games. With App State in town, the Wolfpack get another chance to build on that momentum while also keeping an eye on a reunion angle that should make this one worth watching a little closer than usual. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Gets An App State Test Built Around Two Big Concerns
App State comes into NC States world with a lot of new faces and not nearly as much proven production, which makes this matchup feel less about what the Mountaineers were last year and more about what theyre trying to become now. Theyve rebuilt heavily through the portal, bringing in 75 new players, but the bulk of that group does not bring much starting experience, leaving plenty of uncertainty for a team ranked near the bottom of the Sun Belt in returning production.
Still, there are real issues for the Wolfpack to account for. Malachi Singleton has settled in quickly and already given App State a passing game that can move the ball, while the ground attack has lagged behind and struggled to consistently generate efficient yards. For NC State, the test is built around sorting out which part of that identity shows up and whether the Wolfpack can force the Mountaineers into the kind of one-dimensional game that has not yet looked like a strength. [Read more 🡒]