American football coach Greg McMackin has apologised for using the word ‘faggot’ during a press conference last Thursday morning at the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) American football preview in Salt Lake City.

McMackin coaches the University of Hawaii team. He described a cheer used by the Notre Dame players before last year’s Hawaii Bowl by saying, “They get up and do this little cheer… Like this little faggot dance.”

He then paused and said to reporters, “Don’t write that ‘faggot’ down. I was misquoted.” He later added, “Please cover for me on that… I’ll deny it.”

He later apologised to the press saying, “I want to officially, officially apologise. Please don’t write that statement I said as far as Notre Dame. The reason is, I don’t care about Notre Dame… I don’t want to come out and have every homosexual ticked off at me.

“I would sincerely like to apologise for the inappropriate verbage and words that I used… I don’t have any prejudices, and it really makes me mad that I even said that. I’m disappointed in myself… what I was trying to do was be funny and it wasn’t funny. It’s not funny, and even more, it isn’t funny to me. I was trying to make a joke and it was a bad choice of words.”

Since the incident University officials have suspended McMackin for 30 days without pay. Given his million dollar salary that amounts to some $150,000. He has volunteered to work for free throughout the suspension. He will also take a 7% pay cut and will work with gay and lesbian groups to produce a community public service announcement.

McMackin gave another apology in front of the press after his suspension, at one point breaking down in tears.