Tuskegee University men’s basketball head coach Benjy Taylor was escorted off the court by police following Tuskegee’s 77–69 loss to Morehouse College on Saturday night.
The incident following the match-up between the Division II HBCU rivals drew immediate attention due to how quickly it escalated after the final buzzer.
The confrontation occurred during the postgame handshake line at Morehouse’s home gym in Atlanta.
The incident was caught on video after Taylor, 58, and someone wearing a police uniform appeared to exchange words.
Whatever was apparently said led the officer to handcuff Taylor.
According to HBCU Gameday, Morehouse football players came onto the court after the game had ended, and coach Taylor then confronted security regarding how the situation was addressed.
HBCU Gameday reported that Tuskegee athletic director Reginald Ruffin said Taylor was attempting to ensure security were following proper protocols.
“We have security measures for our protection of our officials, our student athlete coaches and spectators,” Ruffin told HBCU Gameday, adding that said measures follow a protocol, “mandated by the conference office” and are used “at all levels” for members of the league.
Taylor approached arena security and requested that the football players be removed from the court to restore order.
The football players were entering the handshake line area as the game concluded.
“You got to intermingle football players shaking hands with the team,” Ruffin noted said. “You don’t do that… that’s a security breach.”
Ruffin later added, “He [Taylor] asked the security officer, ‘Can you please remove them from the line?’ That’s what he asked the security officer.”
Following the incident, Taylor was released, the handcuffs were removed, and he was allowed to leave the arena with the Tuskegee team.
No charges were filed, and no injuries were reported.
Taylor later issued a statement expressing frustration and disbelief over how the situation was handled.
“I am at a loss for words and I am upset about how I was violated and treated today,” Taylor told the Field of 68. “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.”
Taylor has been Tuskegee’s head coach since the 2019-20 season.
Previously, he coached Hawaii and Chicago State at the Division I level.
