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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, August 2, 2009

WAC mulling McMackin's fate


By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff writer

The Western Athletic Conference will announce tomorrow what action it will take in the case of University of Hawai'i football coach Greg McMackin with the most likely response being a public reprimand.

WAC commissioner Karl Benson declined to say which way he was leaning but said violations of the conference's sportsmanship code can entail "private reprimand, public reprimand or game suspension."

He said he planned to make an announcement tomorrow.

Benson was in the room at the annual WAC Football Media Preview Thursday in Salt Lake City when McMackin made and repeated a term offensive to gays when talking about Notre Dame. Because the incident occurred at a WAC event it "comes under the umbrella of the WAC" as well as UH, Benson said.

Benson said, "I appreciate (UH-Manoa) chancellor Virginia Hinshaw and athletic director Jim Donovan's quick and decisive action and I'm confident that will make my decision easier. I appreciate what they have done over the course of the last 48 hours."

UH announced Friday that McMackin will forfeit 30 days' pay, have his annual salary reduced by 7 percent and work with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community on campus.

Benson said he will make the decision after "seeking some counsel and advice" among WAC members, including presidents and athletic directors.

Benson said the McMackin case was "unique" in his 16 years as commissioner. "We had some WAC coaches that made bad decisions and uttered offensive remarks but it didn't come under the umbrella of the WAC," he said.