Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin has suspended offensive line coach Jim Turner and special teams coordinator Jeff Banks for two weeks without pay after slides of a sexist and irresponsible Women's Clinic presentation went viral on social media. The pair has also been sentenced to 20 hours of community service.
A two-week suspension means the soonest Turner and Banks could rejoin the team would be August 12 -- after the Aggies will have started fall camp.
"There is absolutely no place in our program or in our University community for inappropriate conduct or degrading comments towards women, or anyone, regardless of intent," Sumlin said in a statement.
The images, first reported by Orangebloods beat writer Anwar Richardson, are so obviously in poor taste that it's a wonder they actually saw the light of day in 2016. In fact, they're so far out of bounds our staff assumed they had to be photoshopped before A&M confirmed their authenticity via tonight's statement.
Behold -- How Not to Conduct a Women's Clinic:
"We clearly understand now that our comments and slides were not appropriate or consistent with the values of our football program or our (athletic) department," the pair said in a statement. "We must do better, and we will."
The NFL estimates women account for 45 percent of its total fans. In SEC country, where college football is as much a part of the culture as air conditioning, it's safe to assume the number is equal or higher.
Banks made $358,000 in 2015 according to USA Today, so a two-week suspension will cost him nearly $14,000 in salary. Turner's salary is not posted online, but the Aggies paid his predecessor Dave Christensen a $475,000 salary. A two-week suspension at that same salary would amount to an $18,000 timeout.Turner was the Aggies' offensive line coach under Mike Sherman and followed him to the Miami Dolphins, where he was fired in 2014 for what the Dolphins called "poor judgment" for his part in the Richie Incognito-Jonathan Martin hazing scandal.
From the Wells Report:
Turner was aware of the running "joke" that Player A was gay, and on at least one occasion, he participated in the taunting. Around Christmas 2012, Coach Turner gave the offensive linemen gift bags that included a variety of stocking stuffers. The gifts included inflatable female dolls for all of the offensive linemen except Player A, who received a male "blow-up" doll. [Jonathan] Martin and another player reported that they were surprised Coach Turner did this; Martin further said that he was offended that Turner had endorsed the humiliating treatment of Player A by participating in it. Incognito and others agreed that this incident with Coach Turner occurred. When interviewed, Turner was asked if he gave Player A a male blow-up doll. He replied, 'I can't remember.'
The Dallas Morning Newsreported Friday Turner conducted a similar presentation during his previous stint at A&M and, according to one Women's Clinic veteran, "it's never been an issue."
That sentiment wasn't shared by all in attendance.
Friday's incident marks the second time Sumlin has had to publicly reprimand one of his assistants. In May, wide receivers coach Aaron Moorehead was forced to apologize for a storm of tweets that resulted in multiple decommitments.