re: Jonathan Taylor arrested for...... domestic violence

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Saban, who defended giving Taylor another chance after his Georgia dismissal amid criticism with the decision, said Taylor had been undergoing counseling at Alabama but was signed under a zero-tolerance policy.

"I never want to discontinue giving kids opportunities," Saban told ESPN. "If you're a coach, you're a teacher. Teachers are always trying to inspire people to do better, to learn, to grow. That's what we do, and we're proud of the success we've had here doing that and it's something we'll certainly continue to do."

Saban also apologized for Monday's testy news conference in which he would not apologize for signing Taylor, but did say he was "very, very sorry for the way this worked out." On Thursday, Saban said it was never his intention to come across as insensitive to domestic violence.

"Look, I didn't handle it the best way and I take responsibility for that, but I certainly didn't mean for it to come across that I was insensitive to the seriousness of domestic violence," Saban told ESPN.com.

"I'm not insensitive to this issue. I'm very sensitive to it and will continue to be, but I also believe in giving kids chances. That's the point I was trying to make. I'm sorry for the incident, sorry for the people involved in the incident, sorry this ever happened, sorry for our team, sorry for the university. I'm sorry in every way. But I'm not sorry for giving the guy an opportunity because that sets you up to never be able to give the next guy an opportunity."

While many officials on Alabama's campus were involved in Taylor's vetting process, Saban said he's ultimately responsible for all players the Crimson Tide bring into the football program.

"I never tried to act like it wasn't my fault," Saban told ESPN.com. "I take responsibility for everything that happened and the fact that it didn't work this time. I've learned from this experience, but you've got to move on so you can make the best decision when another situation comes up. It's not being vindictive. It's not trying to make people think that I'm going to prove to you that I'm right.

"That's not the issue here. The issue is the kids, the players, the people. We'll be better because of this going forward."

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