NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Some people might think Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton acted like a jerk in his interview with Dana Jacobson on Saturday, but the CBS Sports reporter doesn't agree.
After the Seminoles lost to Michigan in the Elite Eight, Jacobson asked Hamilton why he didn't order his players to foul in the final seconds. Florida State was trailing by four points with about 11 seconds to play.
Hamilton gave Jacobson a puzzled look before saying, "You think that the game came down to the final seconds of the game? ... The game was over."
In an interview with WFAN's "The Afternoon Drive" on Monday, Jacobson said she was not offended by Hamilton's reaction, but, "I was surprised that he was surprised I was asking that question.
"I don't think he was a jerk, I really don't. And I'm not saying it to protect him or defend him," she added. "I think he was in an emotional moment and responded with emotion. And it sounds like it was a very emotional locker room, and even more so than what you expect it to be.
Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton on the decision not to foul with 11 seconds remaining.#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/IxlWNnuPRa
— March Madness TV (@MarchMadnessTV) March 25, 2018"I guess to me that's part of being professional. He didn't look at me as, 'Oh, it's a female reporter, I can't look at her the same way I would a man.' He responded to me the way he would have (with) anybody else standing there, and that part I appreciate."
Hamilton later released a statement saying he could have handled the interview better, but he did not apologize. Jacobson said he doesn't owe her an apology.
To listen to the interview, in which Jacobson also discusses the teams in the Final Four, click on the audio player above.
