Bruce Rasmussen, athletic director of Creighton Thursday night announced that Bluejays basketball coach Greg McDermott was suspended at least through Sunday’s final season against Butler because the consequences of McDermott’s use of racially insensitive language continue.
‘After our Creighton men’s basketball team returned to Omaha earlier today, [Father] “Hendrickson and I spoke to other senior leaders and talked about appropriate sanctions for the remarks made by Greg McDermott, head coach of basketball, which are not in line with Creighton’s commitment to racial equality, diversity and respect.” Rasmussen said in a statement. “McDermott, coach, and the team accepted that he, immediately in force, will be suspended from all team activities, including the final on Saturday in the home season against Butler. Further sanctions are being considered, and not all will be shared in public. Assistant coach Al Huss will serve as interim head coach.
“Coach McDermott and our athletics program should use this incident as an opportunity for growth and learning, as clearly more work needs to be done.”
Later, McDermott said he made a mistake in his choice of words and that he would accept the suspension.
McDermott said earlier this week that he would resign if his players wanted him after admitting he made a ‘serious mistake’ in the locker room after a loss last weekend.
“If they would have preferred to let me walk away, I would have walked away,” McDermott said in an interview with 1620 The Zone. Omaha World-Herald. “But that’s not what they wanted.”
McDermott initially apologized Tuesday night for comments made Saturday after a 77-69 road loss to Xavier. In apology, posted on Twitter, McDermott fully incorporated the analogy, which reads as follows:
“Guys, we need to stay together. We need both feet. I need everyone to stay on the plantation. I can not leave the plantation.”
“I’ve never used that analogy and it’s not an indication of who I am as a person or as a coach,” McDermott said. “I am very sorry. I apologize to our student-athletes and our staff, as well as President Hendrickson and athletics director Bruce Rasmussen.”
Creighton on Tuesday night issued a separate statement on the subject, condemning the language as ‘regrettable’. It added that any disciplinary action against McDermott would remain confidential.
“While an apology is a start, and although we believe it was not in nature for Coach McDermott, it in no way diminishes the fact that his remark was very hurtful and has absolutely no place in the Creighton community,” reads the statement of Creighton. “We have offered our full and unconditional support to those affected by his words.”
Creighton assistant coach Terrence Rencher, who is also a member of Coaches For Action, also issued a statement on the matter. Rencher has been serving McDermott’s staff since 2019.
McDermott has been Creighton’s coach since 2010. He has taken the team to five NCAA tournaments and is on track to make sixth place this season, with the Bluejays (17-7) predicting a No. 6 series in Jerry Palm ‘s latest series.