McMakin Suspended 30 Days, Takes Voluntary Paycut

((HT: Honolulu Advertiser/Asato))

University of Hawai'i head football coach Greg McMackin ((pictured, thanks Norman Shapiro/Honolulu Advertiser)) was suspended without pay for 30 days and will take a voluntary 7 percent pay cut from his $1.1 million salary after he used a gay slur during a Western Athletic Conference press conference yesterday in Salt Lake City, school officials announced today.

McMackin, who will lose approximately $169,000, will be allowed to coach the team "as a volunteer" during the suspension, and the money from his suspension will be used to fund an intern for a gay/lesbian group as well for other awareness efforts, UH athletic director Jim Donovan said.

McMackin's pay cut ($77,000) matches the voluntary cut Donovan said he would take earlier this week in response to the state's budget crisis.

An emotional McMackin broke down during today's press conference, while making another apology.

"I just made a big mistake," McMackin said. "I apologize to everyone and anyone I offended. I'm committed to do whatever I can as a life lesson to learn from my mistake."
McMackin left the press conference without taking any questions.

"We all recognize that yesterday Coach McMackin made a serious mistake that has hurt many people and brought negative attention to our state and university," UH-Manoa Chancellor Virginia S. Hinshaw said at a press conference today. "He is clearly remorseful — as well he should be. This has been a painful experience for all involved, but we must now consider actions that will help everyone learn from this very negative event."
Members of some of the campus gay/lesbian groups were at today's athletic department press conference at the Stan Sheriff Center.

"I am entirely devoted to providing every opportunity for Coach McMackin and the department of athletics to serve as advocates for change in support of LGBT people in Hawai'i," said Camaron Miyamoto, UH coordinator of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Student Services. "Today will strengthen a positive and on-going working relationship between LGBT Student Services, the UH commission on the status of LGBTI Equality and the department of athletics."

Dozens of football team members also attended to support McMackin.

"It was very emotional for him, and for us. (Came) to show support for coach," senior offensive lineman Aaron Kia said. "To let him know we're here for him in times of trouble."
Said Raphael Ieru, senior offensive lineman: "It was hard to watch him break down.

"I think the punishment was fair. "We've got to support our coach."

Here's your standard local reaction piece from our friends at KHNL/NBC8 and Zahid Arab. Plenty of stereotypic sound bites...


More player reaction can be found here in black...thanks again to the Advertiser...

Donovan said McMackin has agreed to coach the team for those 30 days "because he doesn't want the team or the university to be harmed from his mistake."

McMackin met with Hinshaw and Donovan earlier today.

McMackin left Hawaii Hall about 1:30 p.m. without speaking to the media.

Earlier today, Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis said that McMackin "demonstrated poor judgment" yesterday in making a slur about gays while describing the Fighting Irish.

McMackin made the reference in describing Notre Dame's team dance at a banquet prior to the Dec. 24 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl in which the Fighting Irish beat the Warriors, 49-21.

In a prepared release, Weis said: "Yesterday, Coach McMackin demonstrated poor judgment when, while making comments critical of our football program, he used a derogatory word.
"Speaking only for our football program, we were offended by the remarks.

"This afternoon I received a phone call from Coach McMackin and he apologized to me and asked I pass that along to my players and coaches. We accept his apology and we will move on."

McMackin ignited a firestorm of national outrage when he repeatedly used the slur in his press conference with football writers at the Western Athletic Conference Football Media Review in Salt Lake City before apologizing.

He returned to Hawaii last night and has spent much of this morning apologizing further on radio shows.

In his statement, Weis also noted that as a parent of a daughter with global developmental delays "I am especially sensitive to offensive characterizations like the one at issue here."

Still, Weis says, "in no way do I believe Coach McMackin's comments were intended to be offensive.

"In our phone conversation today, I expressed those sentiments. It is now time to put this incident behind us and return focus to the 2009 season.


Here's his apology, thanks to CSTV/XXL/ESPN...