For the first time, we’re hearing from a former UAB softball player in the wake of allegations of mental and verbal abuse against softball coach Taylor Smartt who took a step back from the program after the allegations, including alleged racist remarks, were made public.
) - For the first time, we’re hearing from a former UAB softball player in the wake of allegations of mental and verbal abuse against softball coach Taylor Smartt.
Smartt took a step back from the program after the allegations, including alleged racist remarks, were made public.
“I did enjoy it. I was happy. I was close to home,” Dupree said. But Dupree said her senior year in 2025 became profoundly distressing.
An experience she says has had a lasting impact on her mentally.
“I played. I got pulled. I played. I got pulled,” Dupree said.
Dupree tells us she endured mental and verbal abuse and says Smartt would consistently pull her to the side in front of teammates to point out her flaws. Dupree says she would always stick up for herself.
“At the end of the day, I’m going to stand up for myself. I was going to stand up for others. I wasn’t just going to take what she was saying. And not even in a disrespectful way.
Because I know a lot of people are like, she’s your coach. You listen to your coach. But at the time, you wouldn’t look at her as a coach either. The way she was talking.
The way she was bringing you down,” Dupree said. A recent Sports Illustrated report on Smartt lays out allegations of misconduct including abuse and racist remarks Dupree says Smartt allegedly made deeply concerning remarks about her appearance and her braided hairstyle.
“Most softball players like to braid their hair back to get it out of their face. We play a game where we’re sweating a lot. We’re putting helmets on and off, so I had braided my hair this day, cute little hairstyle and the first thing she says when I walk in, she’s like oh, look at those jailhouse braids. I brushed it off and talked to my mom about it.
And that’s when I was like, this is wrong. This is completely wrong. What does my appearance have anything to do with softball. To even make that comment, is inappropriate,” Dupree said.
After a series of losses, Dupree says Smartt sent out questionaries while travelling on the team bus with questions like “who is the most negative teammate? ” and “who is the moodiest? ” Dupree feels some of the questions were targeted at her.
“She wanted to find the reason for these losses. She didn’t want to take accountability for the losses and maybe being on her,” Dupree said. Dupree tells us she didn’t answer some of the questions and was told there would be consequences if she didn’t. Dupree felt the coach was trying to turn players against each other.
“I was late for practice one day and I was made to front roll and do burpees until I vomited and my teammates who tried to bring me water were told they couldn’t,” Dupree said. , writing about her daughter’s experience. She said Auburn was subjected to what she can only describe as mental and verbal abuse. Dupree feels not only should Smartt lose her job, but she also says the AD and a few others should as well.
“Justice you know. I mean obviously you can’t fire every single college coach in the world. But I want other girls to see this and be like, other people are going through this and there’s somebody that’s standing up,” Dupree 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. Employment matters are handled between the institution and employees. WBRC reached out to the NCAA which replied, saying it does not comment on current, pending or potential investigations. We also reached out to Coach Smartt, but haven’t heard back yet as of the publishing of this article.
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