Tennessee college football coach fired after ‘appalling’ tweet about Stacey Abrams

University of Tennessee-Chattanooga coach mocked Georgia Democrat on Twitter Tuesday
ajc.com

A University of Tennessee-Chattanooga football coach has been fired for mocking voting rights activist Stacey Abrams in a tweet earlier this week.

On Thursday, assistant coach Chris Malone was released from his duties of coaching the team’s offensive line due to a Tuesday night tweet, which has now been deleted. Screengrabs of the tweet reveal that Malone made derogatory remarks about Abrams’ weight and claimed the Georgia Senate runoffs were rigged.

“Congratulations to the state GA and Fat Albert @staceyabrams because you have truly shown America the true works of cheating in an election, again!!!” reads Malone’s tweet, captured by Chattanooga Holler. “Enjoy the buffet Big Girl! You earned it!!! Hope the money was good, still not governor!”

On Tuesday, Georgians elected Democrat Jon Ossoff to a U.S. Senate seat once filled by Republican David Perdue. They also elected Democrat Raphael Warnock to a Senate seat briefly held by Republican Kelly Loeffler, who conceded Thursday. Abrams, a longtime Georgia politician, played a pivotal role in growing voter registration and, ultimately, changing the political landscape of the state.

Tennessee-Chattanooga coach Rusty Wright and Mark Wharton, the school’s director of athletics, released statements Thursday explaining Malone’s dismissal.

“Our football program has a clear set of standards,” Wright said in a statement posted to social media. “Those standards include respecting others. It is a message our players hear daily. It is a standard I will not (waver) on. What was posted on social media by a member of my staff is unacceptable and not any part of what I stand for or what Chattanooga Football stands for.”

Wharton called Malone’s tweet “appalling.”

“The sentiments in that post do not represent the values of our football program, our athletics department or our university,” Wharton said in a statement.

Malone spent the last two years as Tennessee-Chattanooga’s offensive line coach, according to ESPN. He previously coached at Old Dominion and has made stops at James Madison, Massachusetts and other programs.

Malone spent the 2013 season as offensive line coach and run game coordinator at Virginia State University, a historically Black university.