Taylor Smartt

Taylor Smartt #

Introduction #

Taylor Smartt, head softball coach at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), was fired on July 10, 2026, following the conclusion of a third-party investigation into allegations that first surfaced in May 2026. Attorney Breanna Young, a partner at the Birmingham law firm Starnes Davis Florie LLP who spearheaded the investigation, wrote to UAB that she “determined there was sufficient evidence to find that Coach Smartt engaged in improper conduct and inappropriate behavior that violates UAB policies and certain NCAA rules and regulations,” according to an email viewed by USA TODAY Sports. A UAB spokesperson said, “Taylor Smartt will not return to UAB Softball, and Anna Shelnutt will serve as head coach on an interim basis while UAB Athletics conducts a search. UAB is committed to providing a safe, respectful and positive experience for our student athletes.”

Background Information #

Smartt, a native of Troy, Alabama, became UAB’s head coach in August 2024 after working as the associate head coach at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). It was her first head coaching job at the Division I level, and 2026 was her second season at the helm. According to SI, the alleged conduct at issue began almost as soon as she arrived in Birmingham. UAB finished the 2026 season 21-33 in Smartt’s second year.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #

The allegations were first detailed publicly on May 6, 2026, when Sports Illustrated published a report based on interviews with 10 people tied to the program — four current student-athletes, four parents, a former student-athlete, and a booster — most of whom spoke anonymously for fear of retaliation. Sources within the program alleged racist remarks, physical and mental abuse of players, and an inappropriate relationship involving Director of Operations Julie Money and a student-athlete, along with potential NCAA and Title IX violations.

Smartt had been away from the program since the evening of Friday, April 25, 2026, and did not coach the final five games of the regular season; near the end of April, UAB said she was “taking a step back” from the team. Days earlier, parents met with Athletic Director Mark Ingram, Deputy Athletic Director Dan Carlson, and Compliance Director Katreshia Louis Verrett on April 23-24, 2026, and filed a complaint stating, “The coach maintains an inappropriately close relationship with a specific player, including sleeping over at the player’s residence.” According to SI, the complaint was prompted in part by a player walking in on Smartt, Money, and a teammate on a couch in the player’s apartment in a “compromising position.”

The report detailed a range of alleged misconduct:

  1. Physical abuse (alleged) — Four current players told SI that Smartt allegedly punched one of her players twice during a game at East Carolina on March 27, 2026. An email obtained by SI and sent to ECU Athletic Director Jon Gilbert said, “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.” Players also said Smartt allegedly threatened to “loosen their buttholes with her fingers.”

  2. Dangerous conditioning (alleged) — Players alleged that preseason workouts required them to push assistant coach Anna Shelnutt’s Toyota 4Runner and then sprint ahead of the vehicle to stop it, with one player telling SI that a teammate “almost got, like, actually ran over doing it. She tripped and fell, and the car almost went over her.”

  3. Racist and demeaning remarks (alleged) — Lindsey Dupree, the mother of former player Auburn Dupree, wrote to UAB administrators that her daughter was “repeatedly subjected to what I can only describe as mental and verbal abuse,” including “racially insensitive comments about her braided hairstyle, which was referred to as ‘jailhouse braids.’” Another parent said Smartt told their daughter to stop spending time with her “charred” friends.

  4. Food and travel money (alleged) — Players alleged Smartt withheld food after losses, sometimes provided too little for the team, and reduced airport meal money from $25 in 2025 to $10 during the 2026 season; the complaint stated that “on away trips, the team has been provided with Lunchables as a primary meal.”

  5. Other alleged violations — Sources also accused Smartt of exceeding NCAA countable athletically related activities hours, falsely reporting mandatory practice as community service, entering the locker room while players were changing, and creating a hostile environment.

Booster Robert Ray, a retired Army officer, said he warned Ingram on April 21 that he had “a powder keg with over 20 dynamite sticks about to explode.”

Public Reaction and Consequences #

The SI report drew national attention, and UAB commissioned the third-party investigation that Breanna Young ultimately led. In a statement dated May 1, 2026, UAB said, “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.” Smartt and Money did not respond to SI’s requests for comment.

On July 10, 2026, more than two months after the allegations surfaced, UAB announced Smartt’s firing. The university said it had no further comment on the employment matter and did not answer a question about whether Money remained employed.

Current Status #

As of July 2026, Smartt has been fired and will not return to UAB Softball. Anna Shelnutt is serving as interim head coach while UAB Athletics conducts a search for a permanent replacement. UAB said it had no further comment on the employment matter, and Smartt had not publicly spoken at the time of the announcement.

Impact on Their Career/Life #

The firing ended Smartt’s first Division I head coaching job after just two seasons and a 21-33 record, cutting short a career that had run from FAU to her first head coaching post. The investigation determined there was sufficient evidence that she engaged in conduct violating UAB policies and certain NCAA rules and regulations, which could carry implications for her future in college athletics; the employment status of Julie Money, who was also implicated in the allegations, had not been publicly confirmed. For the players and parents who came forward, the episode brought national scrutiny to the program’s culture, and UAB pledged to provide “a safe, respectful and positive experience” for its student-athletes going forward.