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USC Coach Steve Sarkisian Apologizes For Behavior At Team Event

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — Southern California coach Steve Sarkisian apologized Sunday for his behavior and inappropriate language at a team event the night before.

Sarkisian issued a written apology on the school's official website the morning after the Salute to Troy, a reception held before each season for the football team, alumni and athletic program donors.

Several people who attended the event Saturday night took to Twitter afterward to say that the second-year Trojans coach appeared to be drunk while using profane language in praising his team. Sarkisian also apparently disparaged several of the Trojans' Pac-12 rivals and ended his comments with a profane version of USC's "Fight On" slogan.

"I sincerely apologize to my players and staff and to our fans for my behavior and my inappropriate language at our kickoff event Saturday night," Sarkisian said in the statement. "I have a responsibility to all of them and I let them down."

Athletic director Pat Haden said he spoke to Sarkisian privately about his behavior.

"I met with Coach Sarkisian and I expressed my disappointment in the way he represented himself and the university at our Salute To Troy event," said Haden, who hired Sarkisian in December 2013. "While the details of our conversation will remain between us, I am confident he heard my message loud and clear."

Some of the Trojans on campus Sunday said they hadn't heard about the comments but were standing by their coach.

"He said what he said, I mean, I don't have a problem with it," said one student.

But Trojan rivals are reveling in the misstep.

"I can guarantee you one thing: there are schools that are lining up right now to get a campaign during football games with 'SC where Coach Sarkisian will ridiculed, teased, and made a lot of fun of," said CBS2/KCAL9 Sports Director Jim Hill.

The blunder couldn't come at a more sensitive time. Sarkisian went 9-4 last season in the Trojans' final year under heavy NCAA sanctions. USC is ranked No. 8 in the preseason AP Top 25 released Sunday, and the Trojans were picked to win the Pac-12 in the conference's preseason media poll last month.

Sarkisian, the former University of Washington head coach, also served three stints as a Trojans assistant under Pete Carroll. A Los Angeles-area native, Sarkisian briefly played baseball at USC before becoming a quarterback at BYU.

The Trojans are off Sunday and Monday while school begins at USC. They return to practice Tuesday, and their season opener is Sept. 5 at the Coliseum against Arkansas State.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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