India, March 25 -- Basketball coach Jim Zullo, who was fired after a viral video showed him pulling the ponytail of one of his players, has shared a statement for the first time since the incident. In an apology statement, he claimed that he regretted losing his cool after the team's championship loss.

The video captured an incident after Zullo's team lost a match at Hudson Valley Community College match. According to WNYT, the upset girls, who had lost the championship for a second straight year, were watching their opponents celebrate when Zullo yanked Hailey Monroe's ponytail.

Instantly, another student stepped in as Zullo verbally confronted Monroe. The other student, Ahmya Tompkins, is identified as the teacher's niece, reported th...