UAB softball coach under investigation amid shocking allegations of punching player, racist comments and abuse

The UAB athletic department is investigating allegations that softball head coach Taylor Smartt mentally and physically abused players.

Entering his second season with the Blazers in Birmingham, Alabama, Smartt hoped to make his first stint as a head coach a success story. However, just a few months after he set foot on campus, controversy began around his coaching philosophy.

Now, almost two years later, the school finds itself in a dire situation as accusations of serious misconduct emerge and the athletic department’s investigation escalates.

On April 25, Taylor UAB softball team The team was traveling to Florida for a three-game series with USF in the American Conference.

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It was a time when the noise around Alabama State was growing louder, with softball coaches at different levels openly discussing ongoing issues allegedly going on behind the scenes in Birmingham.

Accordingly SI’s Maren AngusThe allegations against Taylor Smartt, who first reported this story on Wednesday, describe a softball coach who lives on the edge when it comes to acceptable behavior.

Smartt missed the final five games of the regular season as well as the conference tournament, while the school is taking “appropriate steps to investigate” allegations of physical and mental abuse.

Multiple sources told OutKick that UAB administrators were stunned to hear how disturbing some of these allegations made by players and parents were.

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How bad was the softball program in Birmingham?

Although the school only stated that Smartt had stepped back from the program, the sole reason for this “hiatus” was the investigation into his behavior.

On Thursday morning, OutKick reached out to UAB for comment on the allegations.

“Taylor Smartt has taken a step back from the program. We will have further comment when appropriate,” UAB’s BJ Millican told OutKick. “We are committed to providing a safe, respectful and positive experience for our student-athletes. When concerns are brought to our attention, we take appropriate steps to investigate them. Employment matters are handled between the institution and employees.”

SI reported that Smartt allegedly punched a player in the dugout twice during UAB’s game against East Carolina on March 27 this season.

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The UAB athletic department is investigating the conduct of softball head coach Taylor Smartt that led to her departure from the team in late April. (UAB Athletics/UAB Softball)

In addition to allegedly placing his hands on a player, the coach is also accused of making racist comments to a player about his hair, which was called a “prison braid”.

Additionally, a player’s parent claimed Smartt made a comment to a UAB athlete that he should stop hanging out with his “angry” friends.

Abuse allegations lead to investigations

This led to a meeting with UAB athletic department administrators; Among those executives were other parents who said their children were subjected to harassment by the Blazers’ head coach. OutKick confirmed that the meeting took place between parents and UAB Athletic Director Mark Ingram, as well as multiple officials from the school.

But mental and physical abuse were not the only allegations made by student-athletes and their parents. According to SI, there was one night when a player walked into an apartment and saw head coach Taylor Smartt, another person reportedly associated with the UAB softball program, and a UAB softball player allegedly in a “compromising position” on the couch.

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This incident led to another complaint being made. SI’s Maren AngusOutKick confirmed this. The complaint stated that the head coach maintained an inappropriate relationship with a UAB student-athlete; this includes allegations that the coach slept at the player’s home on separate occasions.

The UAB athletic department is investigating the conduct of softball head coach Taylor Smartt that led to her departure from the team in late April. (UAB Athletics/UAB Softball)

Currently, UAB officials are investigating numerous other complaints from players and their parents. This also includes allegations that the head coach would take a UAB softball player “to the bathroom and loosen my ass up for me” as a psychological tactic.

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The off-field issues, which also sparked an investigation, were linked to the coach forcing players to push a Toyota 4Runner while it was in neutral during preseason practices to move it, then forcing them to get in front of the moving vehicle so that the players could then use their bodies and physical strength to stop it.

Complaints filed with the athletic department regarding practices currently under investigation included, among other incidents, allegations that the head coach withheld money that should have been given to players for meal expenses while attending away games.

We’ll see where this investigation goes, as the UAB softball season ends this week. But make no mistake, it wouldn’t be surprising if the NCAA and Title IX investigators got involved.

OutKick reached out to Smartt for comment but had not yet received a response as of publication time. OutKick will update this story as more information becomes available.

OutKick has also reached out to BJ Millican at UAB for clarification on whether Smartt will be paid while he is away from the program, but has not yet received a response.