Benjy Taylor
Tuskegee University issued a formal statement of support for head men's basketball coach Benjy Taylor on Sunday, after the 58-year-old coach was handcuffed and escorted off the court by a security officer following the Golden Tigers' 77-69 loss to Morehouse College at Forbes Arena on Saturday, Jan. 31.
The incident occurred during the postgame handshake line as fans flooded onto the court following the Morehouse victory. According to Tuskegee officials, Taylor had asked a security officer to remove members of the Morehouse football team who had entered the handshake line alongside basketball players — a violation of conference protocol. The officer instead handcuffed Taylor and led him away from the court.
Video of the encounter shared widely on social media, shows Taylor in an animated exchange with the uniformed officer near midcourt. Taylor can be seen gesturing toward the area where the football players had mingled with the teams. The officer then turns Taylor around and places him in handcuffs. No charges were filed.
In a statement released by Tuskegee University President and CEO Dr. Mark A. Brown and Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Reginald Ruffin, the institution expressed what it called "full, unequivocal, and unwavering support" for Taylor. The statement asserted that Taylor "acted solely out of his fundamental responsibility to protect his student-athletes and staff" and that his conduct was "measured, professional, and entirely consistent with the expectations of a head coach."
"No coach should ever be placed in such a position for carrying out their duty to safeguard student-athletes," the statement read.
Taylor, who has served as Tuskegee's head coach since 2019, released a statement to The Field of 68 in which he described feeling personally violated by the encounter.
"I am at a loss for words and I am upset about how I was violated and treated today," Taylor said. "For my players, my family and people of Tuskegee to witness that is heartbreaking for me. I was simply trying to get the football team out of the handshake line as they were following right behind me and the team yelling obscenities. It was a very dangerous situation."
