Eastern Michigan Coach Denies Attacking Single Mothers

Ron English, football coach at Eastern Michigan University, told the Associated Press that his comments have been misunderstood and that he has great respect for single mothers. English has been trying to quiet criticism over comments he made over the summer in which he said that he wanted football recruits whose fathers had been involved in raising them because they know how to be taught by a man. This week he told the AP that "I regret that some people thought I was attacking single moms," and he noted that his views come from his own experience. "I was raised by my grandmother. My father wasn't really a part of my life until I was a teenager. So, I have all the respect in the world for women raising kids on their own." And while saying he wouldn't discriminate against those raised in single-parent homes, he said it was legitimate to talk about the issue. "I received some great e-mails from women, telling me they didn't know how rational people couldn't understand what I was saying and encouraging me to stick by my guns," he said.