“When Craig Brackins looks at you and says, ‘Mac, you don’t have a choice,’ I had to play him,†McDermott said.
It really amazes me that more people on here don't have a problem with this.
Why don't you have a choice GMac? And why are you even discussing it with your players in the first place? This was discipline handed out by you, the head coach, to another player. I hope you didn't ask for the team's input when you decided to suspend him. Did you?
If you need to get input, or you need to discuss it with someone to help formulate your decision, then talk to your assistant coaches, or even your AD. Why the hell would you ask the players? Of course, they are going to say let the kid back on. For one thing, they would want the same treatment in the future if they ever get in trouble. Did you honestly think that the players would tell you no, they don't want you to let him back?
If you actually asked the team what they thought you should do, it shows incredible weakness on your part as a coach and a leader. And worse, to admit to a newspaper that if your "star" player tells the head coach that he has no choice, and you concur......wow.
And yet we wonder why this team shows no discipline on the floor during a game.