Sean Woods Suspended a Game For Shove and Outburst Against His Own Player in Loss at Kentucky

All, College Basketball, Video Jason Lisk November 23rd. 2012, 1:50pm

Sean Woods, the first year head coach at Morehead State, has been suspended for his actions in giving a shove and then berating Devon Atkinson, his player who had just fouled out. Afterward, Woods, who previously played at Kentucky, had Morehead State in position for an upset at his alma mater when the meltdown occurred. We attempted to call Bobby Knight to try to get his reaction, but were unable to get any comment.

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33 Responses to “Sean Woods Suspended a Game For Shove and Outburst Against His Own Player in Loss at Kentucky”

1
sctrojans Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 1:55 PM
Weak. I saw Neil Everett covering this with some sort of “this is a new era” nonsense. When exactly did it become a suspension worthy offense to passionately yell at a player?
2
starkweather Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 1:58 PM
We attempted to call Bobby Knight to try to get his reaction, but were unable to get any comment.
I want to make a Dick Vitale joke here but I can’t quite get the canvas stretched over the framework, let alone fill it in.
3
Tim Ryan Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 1:59 PM
When exactly did it become a suspension worthy offense to passionately yell at a player?
Uh, he forcefully shoved him. The suspension is for the shove.
4
scripty Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 1:59 PM
He was still bitching that Laettner hit that game-winner and stole his thunder.
5
starkweather Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 2:02 PM
Uh, he forcefully shoved him. The suspension is for the shove.
Weak. He acted out of passion. When did a coach passionately shoving a player become a problem?
6
scripty Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 2:05 PM
Stark it got Norman Dale of the Ithaca Warriors a lifetime suspension that was enforced by the NCAA AND the NY High School Athletic Association.
7
starkweather Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 2:06 PM
I was just mimicking the first comment.
8
A.P. Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 2:09 PM
Woods is always yelling like this at his players.he has no clue how to control his emotions.
9
sctrojans Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 2:09 PM
Oh, well excuse me. He did propel the player forward at a slightly accelerated rate of speed for about three feet. Fire him immediately! This is nearly assault! Come on, the guy barely touched him. So what?
10
sctrojans Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 2:12 PM
I hear the player involved has contacted Craig James.
11
Billy Buckner Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 2:36 PM
I was at the Morehead St. vs. Maryland game, our seats are right behind the visitors bench, Woods is totally insane. He was like this the entire game against the Terps, he went insane and had to be separated at least twice from players. It’s uncomfortable.
12
sctrojans Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 2:47 PM
The “shove” was nothing. Apparently we are at the point where any physical contact is suspension worthy, independent of context, intent, etc. Woods has a defined history of verbally going after players in a very aggressive way, and Morehead St. knew that when they hired him. If they view him as a ticking time bomb who will eventually contact a player with malicious intent, they should get rid of him. It is ridiculous to arbitrarily draw the line like this. Purely a PR move.
13
scripty Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 2:58 PM
UPDATE: Woods talked to the Lexington Herald Leader and said the following: “Was that wrong? Should I not have done that? I tell you, I gotta plead ignorence on this thing, because if anyone had said anything to me at all when I first started here that that sort of thing is frowned upon… you know, cause I’ve worked in a lot of programs, and I tell you, other coaches do that all the time.”
14
ButtersBC Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 3:12 PM
Big fan of people going to bat for coaches being to treat people in a way they’d be horrified with if the same thing happened to them…it’s just college basketball, settle down coach
15
sctrojans Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 3:26 PM
Big fan of people going to bat for coaches being to treat people in a way they’d be horrified with if the same thing happened to them…it’s just college basketball, settle down coach
Has the player even complained? If they are so horrified they don’t have to play for him. And it’s easy to say it’s just college basketball, because for you it is. Just a tad different for those who support their existence through it.
16
knifeyspoony Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 3:40 PM
1. guy acts like a total dick to a subordinate
2. guy gets held responsible for acting like a total dick
3. people stick up for guy
sometimes sports fans confuse me.
17
ButtersBC Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 3:43 PM
sometimes sports fans confuse me
I hope to someday be in upper management at a company that lets you hit your underlings like Tommy Tuberville
18
Ty_Webb Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 3:56 PM
kid deserved it, he obviously wanted to foul out on a shitty ticky-tac call in the biggest game of his life
/fuck you coach
19
sctrojans Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 4:02 PM
1. guy acts like a total dick to a subordinate
2. guy gets held responsible for acting like a total dick
3. people stick up for guy
Coaches constantly “act like total dicks”. Rarely do they get suspended. It was the trivial physical contact that people seem most upset over. Guys like Saban, Calhoun, Hayes, Knight, etc. have been villainized for ages for their aggressive methods, but their players by and large go on to appreciate the discipline and accountability they’ve instilled years later. I understand people are more comfortable with the coddling approach, but different methods work for different people.
20
scripty Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 4:07 PM
can you even hit a cadet in basic training anymore?
21
sctrojans Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 4:09 PM
kid deserved it, he obviously wanted to foul out on a shitty ticky-tac call in the biggest game of his life
Haha It was quite clearly a foul, and a dumb one at that. I’m sure Woods coaches his players to physically crowd opponents driving to their weak side from 24 feet, especially when they’re in the double bonus. That’s high percentage basketball right there.
22
knifeyspoony Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 4:10 PM
Rarely do they get suspended.
oh, the “we’ve always done it this way!” reasoning.
Guys like Saban, Calhoun, Hayes, Knight, etc.
great examples. please tell me why they got fired.
I understand that coaching can be a stressful position. guys get hired because of the not-unreasonable expectation that they can do their job in spite of that. there’s a difference between letting a player know he fucked up and doing what Sean Woods did, which is laughably unprofessional.
23
sctrojans Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 4:17 PM
They got fired, I know. That’s because of public pressure. Their ex-players still, by and large, are very grateful for their experiences. It is the way it’s always been done because it is an effective method that’s only by jeopardized recently by a few whiny people and the media shills that’ll trumpet their causes. Knight and Hayes are still beloved by people who can get past their few moments of rage and realize almost all of their careers were highly positive.
24
Chief Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 4:18 PM
I understand people are more comfortable with the coddling approach, but different methods work for different people.
I’m confused as to why there’s only Woods’ method and “coddling”. There’s no middle ground?
25
sctrojans Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 4:19 PM
been jeopardized*
26
sctrojans Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 4:24 PM
There is middle ground. My point is that people don’t personally like the approach, so they get worked up about it. People don’t have to play for Woods if they aren’t comfortable with his no punches pulled approach. I don’t see why it is so unacceptable for Woods to do what he did. Sure, he belittled the kid, but that has worked for a lot of bosses in a lot of different fields.
27
FredSanford Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 5:23 PM
I have seen worse at Pop Warner and Little League.
28
Some Random Old Dude Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 5:28 PM
can you even hit a cadet in basic training anymore?
No, but you can heavily critique them…
29
Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez has the highest WAR evah! Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 6:39 PM
There is middle ground. My point is that people don’t personally like the approach, so they get worked up about it. People don’t have to play for Woods if they aren’t comfortable with his no punches pulled approach. I don’t see why it is so unacceptable for Woods to do what he did. Sure, he belittled the kid, but that has worked for a lot of bosses in a lot of different fields.
Oh bullshit. He pushed and got up in the grill of a kid where he has all of the power, and the kid has none. Not only that, he continued the verbal assault when the kid walked away. There is a difference between aggressively getting your point across and lacking the self control to control the situation as the adult in the room. He got caught up in trying to beat his alma mater. The look on that kid’s face was one of being frustrated about being yelled at, shoved, and having someone up in your face in front of thousands of people without the ability to respond the way he really wanted to. In other words, he got emasculated. I don’t know what world you live in where you as a man happily accept being belittled by someone simply because he’s your boss.
30
sctrojans Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 6:52 PM
He pushed and got up in the grill of a kid where he has all of the power, and the kid has none. Not only that, he continued the verbal assault when the kid walked away.
Emasculated is a stretch. It’s called a superior-subordinate relationship. Stop interpreting everything as a personal attack. The kid walking away doesn’t mean the coach is done, because as you stated, the kid has no power. He doesn’t have to accept being belittled either, as he can leave the program. The school hired Woods knowing his history, so suspending him for this is PR driven hypocrisy.
31
Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez has the highest WAR evah! Says:
November 23rd, 2012 at 9:53 PM
It’s called a superior-subordinate relationship. Stop interpreting everything as a personal attack. The kid walking away doesn’t mean the coach is done, because as you stated, the kid has no power. He doesn’t have to accept being belittled either, as he can leave the program. The school hired Woods knowing his history, so suspending him for this is PR driven hypocrisy.
Again, I don’t know what world you live in, but in the world that I live in when someone shoves you and gets in your face, it’s personal no matter what the relationship. Then again, maybe you’re one who takes those types of actions against you on a daily basis.
32
sctrojans Says:
November 24th, 2012 at 10:36 AM
I don’t, because my boss doesn’t use the Woods method. You’re missing the point though. It is fine to dislike that type of treatment, and you can exercise your right to leave the situation (program, job, whatever), but the suspension is nonsensical. This is bullshit that people get all righteously indignant and try to impress their delicate sensibilities on the world. Woods’ punishment will be not landing any quality recruits if everyone is truly so offended.
33
Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez has the highest WAR evah! Says:
November 24th, 2012 at 11:51 AM
Just as the kid can exercise his right to leave the program because of the actions of his superior, Woods can exercise his right to leave the program based on HIS superior’s “nonsensical, bullshit suspension that people use to get all righteously indignant in order to try to impress their delicate sensibilities on the world.” I don’t think anyone in either situation is willing to walk away except as a last resort. Kid’s don’t mind tough coaching. As a matter of fact, they often respond positively to it. The difference in this case is Woods was out of control. You can’t demand that your team remains in control, when you can’t control yourself as the superior.
Woods’ punishment will be not landing any quality recruits if everyone is truly so offended.
The nuts and bolts of the recruiting process is performed by the assistant coaches. The head coach puts in some face time to close the deal, and babysit between the period of time between the verbal committment and the signing. The kid walks onto campus day 1 with a much closer relationship with the assistant than he has with the head coach. But even if that wasn’t the case in fact, I’m pretty damn positive that Woods wouldn’t be introducing himself in living rooms across the country by shoving the kid to the couch as part of his sales pitch.