Creighton University has reinstated coach Greg McDermott only four days after suspending him for an “insensitive” comment made during a talk with his players.
McDermott made the unfortunate remark while trying to rally his team after a tough loss last week saying that he wanted to keep his players on the “plantation” when he likely meant the “reservation.” The coach apologized for the comment in a tweet posted on March 2.
“I immediately recognized my egregious mistake and quickly addressed my use of such insensitive words with my team,” McDermott said in his Tweet
The team quickly suspended him “indefinitely” for his comment. Apparently, that indefinite period lasted four days because, on Monday, the school reinstated him.
In its statement, Creighton Athletic Director Bruce Rasmussen cited coach McDermott’s apology for the comment that supposedly “caused significant hurt to many on our campus and in our community.” Then Rasmussen added that McDermott took ownership of the remark and will participate in a program “designed to develop the capacity of participants to better understand racism in its institutional and structural forms.”
Along with his tweeted apology, McDermott also apologized in a video:
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston.