Spoken like someone who never played or has never been around sports much. Coaches get grudges all the time. I've seen coaches refuse to play kids for some of the pettiest reasons you could possibly imagine. Yes, even to their own detriment. Not saying this is necessarily the case here, but it sure sounds like it. But that's why I'm asking.
This program can't afford to lose another good player. At some point, the fans must hold their coach accountable.