Chattanooga Football Fires Coach for Offensive Tweet

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga fired Chris Malone, a football coaching staff member, after he posted an offensive and misleading tweet on Jan. 5 about Stacey Abrams, the Georgia voting rights activist, according to statements posted by the university’s head football coach and director of athletics.

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

Abrams, who is Black, has been credited for her organization’s widespread voter registration efforts and for energizing Democratic voters in Georgia, who flipped two United States Senate seats from Republican to Democrat on Tuesday and helped get Joe Biden elected in November.

Malone has since deleted his Twitter account and could not be reached for comment. He previously coached at Virginia State University, a historically Black university, USA Today reported.

Mark Wharton, vice chancellor and director of athletics at Chattanooga, said in a statement that the “entire post was appalling.” A parallel statement from Rusty Wright, head coach of Chattanooga Football, said that Malone’s tweet was “unacceptable” and “not any part of what I stand for or what Chattanooga Football stands for.”

“Life is bigger than football and as leaders of young men, we have to set that example, first and foremost,” Wright said.