Massachusetts has suspended head coach Mark Whipple for one week without pay following inappropriate and insensitive post-game comments on Saturday.
Following a 58-42 loss to Ohio, Whipple was asked about a play in which the officials initially called a pass interference penalty on the Bobcats but later picked up the flag. Here's what Whipple said (emphasis added):
"We had a chance there with 16 down and they rape us, and he picks up the flag. So our guys fought. They have a good team and they were home, and I thought our guys were certainly ready to play because we went up 14-nothing. We just have to get ready for next week. We didn’t make enough plays to beat a team like that."
On Sunday evening, UMass AD Ryan Bamford announced Whipple's suspension. Defensive coordinator Ed Pinkham will be the interim head coach for the week as the Minutemen host South Florida.
UMass had previously announced a complete media blackout for this upcoming week, for reasons that have not been explained.
The Minutemen are off to a 2-4 start to this season, and stand at 8-22 in Whipple's three seasons.
In April, UMass extended Whipple through 2020, which raised his salary from $450,000 to the $500,000 range.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.