You have /5 articles left.
Sign up for a free account or log in.
The Southern Illinois University at Carbondale chancellor and athletics director stated their support for the head men’s basketball coach Barry Hinson on Wednesday, after Hinson spent several minutes of his post-game press conference (see video below) raging about athletes’ poor performance in the team's 73-65 loss Tuesday night. Among other things, the coach called them "uncoachable" “mama’s boys,” called a specific player by name “PG-rated” and “absolutely awful,” said his wife could have made more baskets, and joked that “there was a sniper in the gym” and that athletes who fell on the court got “sniped.”
Hinson told USA Today Sports on Wednesday that he stood by everything he said, but apologized for singling out the one player. “Let’s get something straight,” he said. “I didn't grab anybody, I didn't hit anybody. I didn't even use profanity. I just want my kids to play harder. You've gotta be able to criticize in this society. I want what's best for my players.”
The coach also said he had the support of Athletic Director Mario Moccia. In a statement sent to Inside Higher Ed, Chancellor Rita Cheng called Hinson “a coach who cares deeply about his players and their success.”
“Last night, his passion for his team merged with his frustration for its performance, resulting in some unfortunate statements that I know he regrets,” Cheng wrote. “We always hope that all of our coaches will publicly support our teams and student athletes regardless of the score. Barry understands and agrees with this principle, and I’m confident that he will work to embody it as he continues to rebuild our team.”
Twenty months into the job, Hinson has 16 wins and 25 losses.
