It was the Universities decision, he brought a lot of negative publicity to them, so they're making him pay. Oh well, he'll think before he speaks next time.
HONOLULU (AP)?Hawaii coach Greg McMackin was suspended for 30 days without pay and has volunteered to take an additional 7 percent pay cut from his $1.1 million salary for making a derogatory comment while describing Notre Dame?s chant before last year?s Hawaii Bowl.
In a room full of players, assistant coaches and boosters, a tearful McMackin addressed reporters late Friday after meeting with school officials for several hours.
?I just want to say I made a big mistake. I want to apologize to everyone and anyone that I offended with my remarks,? he said. ?I?m committed to do whatever I can to use this as a life lesson to learn from my mistake. When we make mistakes, we have to learn from it and make better people of ourselves.?
In total, McMackin will lose roughly $169,000 from his salary this year. But the real damage seems to be to his reputation and to the university.
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Athletic director Jim Donovan said McMackin will remain with the team on a voluntary basis during the suspension. He said the coach violated university policies. McMackin met with Donovan and Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw.
?We all recognize that Coach McMackin made a serious mistake that has hurt many people and brought negative attention to our state and university,? Hinshaw said. ?He is clearly remorseful?as well as he should be.?
The second-year Warriors coach has repeatedly apologized for the comments made during a media briefing Thursday at the Western Athletic Conference football preview in Salt Lake City. He used a slur usually targeted at gays to describe Notre Dame?s chant performed at a banquet before last year?s Hawaii Bowl.
?I?m very disappointed in myself. I hope to make up for some for the pain I caused others,? he said. ?I made a mistake. Now I have to show the leadership in dealing with the football program and building respect for all people in our community.?
Wiping away tears from his swollen-red eyes, McMackin said he?s offended the gay and lesbian community and now he wants to work with them to use the incident as a ?teachable moment for me and hopefully others.?
?I should?ve never brought Notre Dame?s program up in my interview,? McMackin said. ?I?m sorry that I said something so hurtful and I?m very remorseful.?
Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis on Friday said the Fighting Irish program was offended by the comments but has accepted his apology and will move on.
?Coach McMackin demonstrated poor judgment when, while making comments critical of our football program, he used a derogatory word,? Weis said in a statement. ?Speaking only for our football program, we were offended by the remarks.?
Weis said it was in the best interests of the Notre Dame program to address the issue promptly, put it to rest and focus on the upcoming season.
The Fighting Irish routed the Warriors 49-21 in the Hawaii Bowl for their first postseason victory in 15 years. McMackin called it the worst loss in his 40 years of coaching.
McMackin?s comments have stunned this state, where the story has created a stir online and has led the front pages of both Honolulu newspapers. The headline in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin read, ?Mack Under Attack.?
His comments have been sharply rebuked by everyone from Gov. Linda Lingle to gay and lesbian groups.
Before joining the Warriors, McMackin spent three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers as associate head coach and linebackers coach under Dennis Erickson. He has also served as defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks and several college programs, including Texas Tech, Miami, Navy, Utah and Idaho.
As sensitive as the comment was to some, being suspended 30 days without pay is WAY too much for nothing really. Society is getting way too sensitive.
It was the Universities decision, he brought a lot of negative publicity to them, so they're making him pay. Oh well, he'll think before he speaks next time.
The media is getting terrible though, no one has free speech anymore. If you want to use words you want to you get punished.
I think its Bull****. It isn't like thge Honolulu pink booted fairy dancers are gonne be buying season tickets any time soon. As much as ive heard about the story still havent found out what he actually said. I do think it's lame he was tearful at the press confrence. About the negative publicity UOH probly wouldnt have publictity if it wasn't for football.
GO VOLS
He said they were doing "some little fa*got dance"
LOL that's the 150k dollar line. I think if you can take one up your bum you should be a little more thick skinned than that.Originally Posted by wisecav13SWH
GO VOLS
When you're the head coach or anyone in a position like that, you can't make those comments and expect to not catch heat. Isn't about "free speech" when you're making comments, just as bad if he had dropped the n-word.
coaches know better than to say stuff like this
but i think its only a big a deal because he was referring to notre dame indirectly.
we all know how the media eats notre dame's afterbirth
nick saban said 'coonass', not even a slur and got bombarded, this guy got off easy
Total bull****! Its friggin football, who gives a rats ass. This country is way to politically correct when we cant say ***got. Call me honky, whitebread, redneck, I consider it a badge of honor, grow the hell up, especially you r13, you **** liberal, your ruining my country.
yall have fun, duke it out cage match style
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