SYRACUSE, N.Y., Dec. 3 (UPI) -- Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim said Friday he had been insensitive to the alleged victims of sexual abuse at the hands of fired assistant Bernie Fine.
Boeheim told reporters after the undefeated Orange's 72-68 victory over Florida he "misspoke very badly" in his initial responses to the allegations against Fine.
"I shouldn't have questioned what the accusers expressed or their motives," said Boeheim. "I am really sorry that I did that and I regret any harm that I caused. It was insensitive to the individuals involved, and especially to the overall issue of child abuse."
Boeheim said he had not been advised or instructed about what to say to the packed press room. CBS Sports.com said the remarks appeared to be a mix of both scripted and off-the-cuff statements.
Syracuse.com said the statements were a 180-degree shift from the more-combative tone Boeheim took when he was more defensive about his longtime assistant. Boeheim said he met earlier this week with officials of a child-advocacy center about raising awareness of child-abuse issues.
"What I said last week was out of loyalty," said Boeheim. "I reacted without thinking. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I'm trying to learn from my mistake, and this has been a hard time."
