UAB athletic director Mark Ingram says that an external investigation involving college softball coach Taylor Smartt is nearing its conclusion. A decision has not yet been made about her future with the program in Birmingham.
It is unlikely that she will be invited back if the allegations are found to be true.
Smartt has been accused of racism and abuse by more than one of her college softball players. The 34-year-old is also accused of having an inappropriate relationship with one of her players.
Is UAB going to fire its college softball coach?
This specific saga really got started at the end of April when UAB announced that Taylor Smartt was placed on administrative leave. She did not coach the last few games of the regular season. She was not allowed to join her team in Greenville, North Carolina for the conference tournament. The university opened a formal investigation not too long thereafter.
According to an email obtained by Maren Angus-Coombs of Softball on SI, the process is finally nearing a conclusion. Athletic director Mark Ingram sent the following update to the softball program on Saturday morning:
“An independent third-party has been conducting a thorough investigation into the concerns raised about Coach Smartt. I want to sincerely thank those of you who have participated in this important process.
“I am assured that the process is nearing completion, and I hope to share an update and more information about next steps with you very soon. I know uncertainty can be frustrating but want you to know that we are taking this important process seriously. In the meantime, I encourage you to take advantage of free services offered by UAB Student Counseling Services if you need them.
“I will be in touch with more information as soon as I can.”
If we are being honest, the update does not provide a lot of clarity. “Nearing completion” is a vague timeline. Does that mean we will find out whether Smartt gets to keep her job this week? Does it mean we will find out before the start of the fall semester?
However, it is interesting to note that the investigation was conducted by an third-party organization and not the university.
Why is Taylor Smartt under investigation?
The ongoing inquiry is four-fold. It stems from allegations of racism, physical and mental abuse, an inappropriate relationship between UAB head softball coach Taylor Smartt, the program’s director of operations and a student-athlete, as well as violations of Title IX and NCAA regulations.
Angus-Coombs of Softball on SI spoke with four current student-athletes, one former student-athlete, four parents and a booster about the alleged behavior over the last two seasons. Smartt was hired in August of 2024.
The 10 different sources all had similar things to say. The problems started during a grueling (and demoralizing) preseason training program and continued into the regular season.
Auburn Dupree played for the Blazers in 2025. Her mother wrote the following email about her daughter’s experience:
“Unfortunately, her senior year became a profoundly distressing experience that has had a lasting impact on her mentally […] Throughout that season, my daughter was repeatedly subjected to what I can only describe as mental and verbal abuse… There were deeply concerning remarks made by Coach Smartt regarding my daughter’s appearance, including racially insensitive comments about her braided hairstyle, which was referred to as ‘jailhouse braids.’ Such comments are unacceptable in any professional or educational setting.”
— Lindsey Dupree
That was just the tip of the iceberg. According to the formal complaint filed against Smartt with the university, a different player walked in on the head coach, her director of operations, and one of her teammates on the couch in a “compromising position.” The head coach is accused of sleeping over at the player’s residence. She is also accused of punching one of her players, twice, threatening physical punishment and withholding food from her team after losses.
The full details of Smartt’s alleged behavior do not bode well for her future at UAB, or in the sport as a whole. She will undoubtedly be removed from the head coaching role the investigation finds that she is guilty, effective immediately.