The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are in the middle of a public relations nightmare after hiring disgraced college football coach Art Briles yesterday and then going back on that decision after backlash from the community and the league.

CEO Scott Mitchell stood in front of a slew of cameras and reporters Tuesday morning and took the blame for hiring Briles.

“What we thought was an opportunity to give somebody a second chance, was clearly not acceptable in relation what previously happened and what he had been involved with.”

Former Baylor University football coach Art Briles was fired last year as head coach in the wake of a sexual assault scandal that included at least 52 acts of rape committed by 31 different players, including five gang rapes.

The Ticats announced the hiring yesterday but CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie convinced CEO Scott Mitchell otherwise, a decision Mitchell says he might have come to on his own eventually. While Scott Mitchell took full responsibility for hiring Briles in the first place, it sounds like it was coach June Jones’s idea.

“Art and I have been friends for 40 years…thinking it all through, this is a very emotional personal thing for me.” June Jones, Ticats head coach.

Ticats owner Bob Young issued a statement today saying “We made a large and serious mistake. We want to apologize to our fans, corporate partners and the Canadian Football League.”

Art Briles was in Hamilton when he was told he’d no longer be hired and according to Scott Mitchell was quite emotional. Mitchell said Briles will eventually coach again but it won’t be here in Hamilton.