Weis: McMackin used ‘poor judgment’ when using gay slur in describing Notre Dame cheer

Weis: McMackin used ‘poor judgment’

HONOLULU — Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis on Friday said the Fighting Irish program was offended by derogatory comments made by Hawaii coach Greg McMackin but has accepted his apology and will move on.

“Coach McMackin demonstrated poor judgment when, while making comments critical of our football program, he used a derogatory word,” Weis said in a statement. “Speaking only for our football program, we were offended by the remarks.”

McMackin has repeatedly apologized for the comments made during a media briefing Thursday at the Western Athletic Conference football preview in Salt Lake City. He used a slur usually targeted at gays to describe Notre Dame’s chant before last year’s Hawaii Bowl.

Weis said he received a phone call from a contrite McMackin on Friday, and “we accept his apology and we will move on.”

Weis said it was in the best interests of the Notre Dame program to address the issue promptly, put it to rest and focus on the upcoming season.

The Fighting Irish routed the Warriors 49-21 in the Hawaii Bowl for their first postseason victory in 15 years. McMackin called it the worst loss in his 40 years of coaching.

McMackin’s comments have stunned this state, where the story has created a stir online and has led the front pages of both Honolulu newspapers. The headline in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin read, “Mack Under Attack.”

His comments have been sharply rebuked by everyone from Gov. Linda Lingle to gay and lesbian groups.

The second-year Warriors coach was meeting with athletic director Jim Donovan and Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw on Friday to discuss the incident. He could be reprimanded by the school or the WAC.

WAC commissioner Karl Benson said McMackin’s comments “clearly violate” the WAC code of conduct, but he will wait and see what the university does before considering sanctions.

Before joining the Warriors, McMackin spent three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers as associate head coach and linebackers coach under Dennis Erickson. He has also served as defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks and several college programs, including Texas Tech, Miami, Navy, Utah and Idaho.