Edson Maitland, the father of Morehead State basketball player Malik Maitland, has accused Morehead State head coach Sean Woods of headbutting his son last season. The elder Maitland relayed the story to ESPN on Wednesday morning.
Edson told the media outlet that, after Woods headbutted Malik, he quickly apologized, requested forgiveness, and then said it wouldn't happen again. But as it turns out, that was allegedly a promise he couldn't keep as Woods was suspended indefinitely—with pay—by Morehead this week after he was charged with misdemeanor battery for allegedly assaulting Malik and his teammate Soufiyane Diakite in November. Edson is now requesting that Woods be fired.
In the most recent incident, Woods reportedly backhanded Malik in the chest during halftime of a November 19 contest against Evansville. He's also said to have shoved Diakite both during and after the same game. For that alleged transgression, he was originally suspended for three days.
Edson told ESPN that he was "disappointed" in the coach, which seems like an understatement. He also read some prepared remarks to the Worldwide Leader. "He came into our home and violated our trust, the trust that we put in him as a coach," he said. "Not only did we ask him to coach our son, but to treat our son just as he would treat his own son. He was reckless with willful intention in his action toward my son, inflicting such a pain on him."
He added: "I not only want him gone, I want him prosecuted to the full length of the law."
This is not Woods' first suspension from the university. Back in 2012, during his first season on the team's sideline, Woods went completely Bobby Knight on a player, forcefully shoving him in the back and berating him inches from his face during a matchup against Kentucky. For that, he was suspended for one game.
The school is currently conducting an investigation into the most recent incident and said on Wednesday morning that the "process is nearing completion." Whether or not the world will have one more coach searching for a new position on Monster.com remains to be seen.
