Startling allegations have been made against University of Alabama Birmingham softball coach Taylor Smartt in a damming report that outlined alleged incidents of racist remarks and mental and physical abuse toward players.
Smartt had “taken a step back” from the softball program last month, and a report from Sports Illustrated now shines a light on the alleged shocking actions of the coach, citing multiple student-athletes, parents and others connected to the athletic program.
In one instance, Lindsey Dupree, the mother of former UAB softball player Aubrey Dupree, told SI that Smartt “repeatedly subjected” her daughter to “mental and verbal abuse” through racist comments and body shaming.
Taylor Smartt (center) has “taken a step back” from UAB. Instagram / @tsmartt In a text message to the SI, Aubrey described Smartt as “manipulative” and made her second-guess her worth as a “player, a friend, and just as a human.”
Another parent said her daughter was told by the coach to stop hanging out with her “charred” friends.
The alleged physical abuse came from a complaint that was made after someone witnessed Smartt punch one of her players during the first game in a series against East Carolina on March 27.
The person reported the complaint to members of the ECU athletics staff, including athletic director Jon Gilbert, via email.
“While observing from the first base dugout area, I saw the UAB head coach punch a player in the dugout. Following the incident, I noticed the player began to tear up, appearing to be in physical pain or distress… I wanted to bring this matter to your attention for further review,” the email stated.
Other shocking alleged behavior included a dangerous preseason conditioning workout players were made to push assistant coach Anna Shelnutt’s vehicle and then run in front of it to stop it with just their body weight.
One current member of the softball team told SI that Smartt “forced” Shelnutt to put her Toyota 4Runner in neutral for the drill, and in one instance, it nearly led to one player getting hit by the car.
Taylor Smartt is facing allegations of abuse. Instagram / @tsmartt “One of my teammates almost got, like, actually ran over doing it. She tripped and fell, and the car almost went over her,” the player said.
The issues raised also included a claim that Smartt had an inappropriate relationship with a player.
A player reportedly had walked in on Smartt, another person associated with the softball program and a teammate in a compromising position on the couch.
“The coach maintains an inappropriately close relationship with a specific player, including sleeping over at the player’s residence,” according to the complaint made.
In a statement to SI, UAB said that the university was “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,” the statement added.
