Late Thursday night, Creighton Bluejays basketball coach Greg McDermott was suspended for making “plantation” comments to his players. As of now, there is no end date in sight for how long the suspension will last. For now, Creighton will likely be playing in the NCAA Tournament without their head coach.
McDermott didn't fight the suspension but rather welcomed it and agreed with the punishment after his racially insensitive remarks:
I made a mistake and I own it. Mistakes come with consequences, and I accept and agree with the suspension. https://t.co/pYOT0X0nMx
— Coach McDermott (@cucoachmac) March 5, 2021
Per ESPN's Jeff Borzello, McDermott apparently offered to resign from his position after the comments were made:
McDermott apologized Tuesday for referencing a “plantation” to his players following a loss to Xavier last week.
“Specifically, I said: ‘Guys, we got to stick together. We need both feet in. I need everybody to stay on the plantation. I can't have anybody leave the plantation,'” McDermott said.
McDermott said on Creighton's pregame radio show Wednesday — before he coached the Bluejays against Villanova — that he offered to resign over his comments. He said the players did not ask for him to resign.
“Our guys wanted me to coach, and that's my job,” McDermott said.
Of everything McDermott could have used as a reference to dial the mentality of his players, he opted for a plantation analogy. It was a bizarre and unnecessary choice of words, and there's no room for comments like these. At the very least, it's nice to see Creighton acted so swiftly to remove McDermott from the team for the indefinite future, even with postseason basketball upcoming.
Greg McDermott has been the head coach of the Creighton Bluejays since 2010. They're currently ranked 14th overall in the NCAA, holding a 17-7 record. Creighton will play their first game without their head coach on Saturday against the Butler Bulldogs.
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