Adrian Benitez | Staff Writer
Former FIU football linebacker and team captain Reggie Peterson has made several allegations against Head Coach Mike MacIntyre, including verbal abuse and assault. He also describes the program as a “Ponzi scheme” and “a team built off lies.”
Peterson had retired from the team before the start of the 2024 season, citing politics as one of the main factors.
THE REASON I LEFT FIU FOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/iAHh5Be8mA
— Reggie Peterson ⁴² (@42Pete_) November 21, 2024
These allegations were made public in a post to his X account Thursday afternoon, Nov. 21.
Regarding players, Peterson said that MacIntyre is “scared to hurt their feelings” and alleged he was making false promises regarding NIL money and playing time. Peterson says the players “were absolutely vexed to the point they couldn’t even cheer.”
Peterson alleges that he was moved down the linebacker depth chart by MacIntyre during the 2024 offseason despite “grading out the highest in multiple practices,” as well as being lied to about NIL payments.
Peterson said the following about MacIntyre‘s response to his grievances: “I was verbally abused, my religion was thrown in my face, and I listened how terrible I was on and off the field, he tried to belittle me, like my concerns were invalid.”
In another allegation of verbal abuse, Peterson said that MacIntyre told a defensive player “You suck, you suck. Worthless, you suck as a player.” Peterson said the player is still on the team today.
He told a defensive player in 2023, “you suck, you suck. Worthless, you suck as a player” the player than went to say “you’re my coach, coach me, you’re telling me I suck, then why am I playing?” That defensive player still plays on the team today. After being verbally abused..
— Reggie Peterson ⁴² (@42Pete_) November 21, 2024
Among his other allegations, Peterson also alleges that MacIntyre threw a chair in the locker room during halftime of FIU’s match against FAU in 2022, which inadvertently hit a player, as well as “tossing someone’s helmet at practice telling them to go get it.”
In an exclusive interview with PantherNOW, Peterson described the situation in the locker room during the FAU game.
“So halftime, he instantly just started cursing from A to Z and started flipping tables and kicking chairs,” said Peterson. “He was totally upset, like 10 out of 10, like 100% upset. So he’s cussing and his words, word for word, he says ‘I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t know if I can do this. I gave you guys an amazing game plan, but you don’t want to do it. I should have never took this head coaching job.'”
“He threw a chair and the chair ended up hitting a player named Caleb Lynum who on Twitter yesterday admitted that Coach Mac did hit him.”
My chin still sensitive from that chair smh https://t.co/zLbsPcorBR
— stik7 (@LynumBoi8) November 21, 2024
Peterson then says that the locker room erupted, with a player and MacIntyre needing to be held back.
“Julius Pierce, our former center who transferred to Middle Tennessee, he was held back because he was arguing with Coach Mac and Coach Mac was being held back. Pierce was like ‘I don’t care what you say, you just hit a player!’ Coach Mac was like ‘No I didn’t, no I didn’t!'”
“He saw red. I never seen that side of Coach Mac before,” Peterson said.
“It shows his passion for us and passion for the game but at the end of the day, what’s wrong is wrong. He threw a chair and he hit a player in the face.”
Former Football Captain Reggie Peterson
Former FIU football offensive lineman Lyndell Hudson II added context to the chair throwing allegation in a quote tweet, saying “buddy damn near hit me with the chair during halftime when we were playing FAU 2022.”
How could I forget the famous chair throw! buddy damn near hit me with the chair during halftime when we were playing FAU 2022. https://t.co/m9dgIDtQZQ
— Lyndell Hudson II (@King_Hudson2) November 21, 2024
Davon Strickland, former FIU offensive lineman, corroborated Peterson’s story.
I remember that halftime session like it was yesterday! The behavior displayed in that locker room that day was highly unacceptable! Throwing chairs, flipping tables… FIU does not deserve this! https://t.co/El5i7zO4ZB
— Davon Strickland (@DavonS52) November 21, 2024
Peterson alleged that MacIntyre made the following speech before a game against Western Kentucky in 2022: “They’re bigger than us, Stronger than us, Faster than us, Quicker than us, but we are smarter. Go out there and kick some butt.” The Panthers lost the game 73-0.
Another former player, Samuel Hill, alleges on X that MacIntyre asked him to reschedule the funeral of a family member so Hill could be available for a football game.
“One day November 2022 my grandmother had passed away. The week of her funeral Coach Mac asked me ‘Is there anyway you or your family could change the date of the funeral so I could play that Weekend’. I was so distraught by the question I honestly didn’t know what to do.”
one day November 2022 my grandmother had passed away. The week of her funeral Coach Mac asked me "Is there anyway you or your family could change the date of the funeral so I could play that Weekend". I was so distraught by the question I honestly didn't know what to do https://t.co/UZUzSYn9Zt
— Samuel Hill (@SamuelH86161449) November 22, 2024
PantherNOW received no response from Carr or MacIntyre after repeated attempts. A representative from the university’s media relations team responded via email with a statement.
“The FIU administration is aware of issues raised surrounding the football program. They are being taken very seriously. The matter is being addressed following the university’s standard procedures; therefore, we have no further comment at this time.”
Note: PantherNOW spoke with Peterson to gather more information on his allegations. A transcript of the interview can be found here.
Update: On Dec. 1, 2024, MacIntyre was fired by FIU. The full story can be found here. PantherNOW requested MacIntyre’s contract, which can be found below.
Follow Adrian Benitez on X: @ab305FIU
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