© Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Ole Miss women’s basketball team upset 23rd-ranked Vanderbilt on the road in SEC action on Sunday. As the game came to a close, an announcer was heard critiquing head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin.
He referred to the coach as an “acquired taste” due to her style and presence on the sidelines. Those remarks rubbed a number of Rebels the wrong way.
The SECN+ announcer at today’s Ole Miss women’s bball game vs Vanderbilt makes ridiculous comments about Coach Yo, as the Rebels’ HC called a timeout to teach and coach her players. The comments were uncalled for.
“Acquired taste?” “Bombastic motions?” Ever watch Kim Mulkey? 😂 pic.twitter.com/9Ys2KX6CKT
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) February 3, 2025
The criticism came after McPhee-McCuin called a late timeout with her team leading by 15 points. The broadcast crew member seemed to take offense to the move, though there didn’t appear to be ill-will in the decision to stop play.
As the coach spoke with her team on the bench, the announcer dug into McPhee-McCuin’s supposedly disrespectful intentions.
“Coach Yo with a quick timeout before the turnover,” he’s heard saying. “I say this respectfully, and she’s done an incredible job – three consecutive NCAA Tournaments – but I can see why some of Coach Yo would be an acquired taste. It’s a lot of bombastic motions on the sidelines, and all of that sort of stuff. Working the officials, timeouts when you’re up by 15 points.
“All of that sort of stuff. Look, you should be yourself. Coach how you’re going to coach. But I can see where there would be acquired taste.”
Yolett McPhee-McCuin responded to the commentary after the fact. She called the negative review “classless, unnecessary, and uncalled for.”
The disrespect from Vanderbilt’s tv announcers was classless, unnecessary and uncalled for! Im truly grateful for my growth in these days and times! So that’s all I’m going to say about it! God Bless!
— Coach Yo (@YolettMcCuin) February 3, 2025
She later posted a Grammys-themed message on her reasoning behind the timeout. She said she was simply trying to avoid a turnover with her opposition turning up the heat defensively.
Me when I’m trying to avoid a turnover because we were being pressed with 15secs to go (which I have no problem with) so I call a timeout but the announcer used the opportunity to take a shot at me! Simply because…. pic.twitter.com/wRx6T6WPse
— Coach Yo (@YolettMcCuin) February 3, 2025
Ole Miss led from nearly start to finish in that upset win, grabbing a 12-11 lead in the first quarter before building that advantage to as many as 20 points. The win pushed the Rebels to 15-6 on the year.
McPhee-McCuin has roamed the sidelines for seven seasons in Oxford. She posted a program-best 12 SEC wins just last year. She’s one of two Ole Miss women’s basketball coaches to record 100 wins with the school.
She’s also far from the most animated coach in a conference that includes Kim Mulkey and Dawn Staley. In fact, just last week the former was seen slapping a clipboard out of the hands of her own assistant in a moment of rage.
Yolett McPhee-McCuin responded appropriately to the remarks while making her displeasure known. She’ll now look to prep her team for an upcoming league matchup with SEC foe Oklahoma.