University of South Carolina football coach apologises for berating female athletes during Title IX ceremony

Ceremony honours landmark gender rights law

University of South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer apologised after he was recorded during a Saturday game screaming at a group of female athletes being honoured for the 50th anniversary of the Title IX legislation.

The 1972 legislation bars sex discrimination at federally supported educational institutions and has been a key part of supporting women’s athletics across the US.

"I apologize to anyone that I offended," the coach told ESPN on Sunday.

A broadcast from USC’s Saturday fixture against the University of Georgia on Saturday shows the coach screaming what appears to be “Get off the field!” at a group of women exiting the field.

The coach later explained that he had been briefed by game officials to have his players on the field and ready for action immediately TV timeouts ended and the game was once again live.

He added that he’s a big supporter of women’s sports.

"I hope people know me well enough to know what an advocate I am for women’s sports," he added in ESPN. "I’ve got two daughters of my own that play sports. I’m at as many women’s athletic events at Carolina as I can possibly be because I believe in them and support them, and anyone that thinks otherwise surely doesn’t know me."

The brief on-field controversy was just the beginning of the trouble for Mr Beamer on Saturday.

Top-ranked Georgia cruised past the South Carolina Gamecocks, winning 48-to-7.