A postgame moment that should’ve been routine turned tense fast, pulling college basketball back into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
People reports that during a matchup between Tuskegee University and Morehouse College on Saturday, January 31, Tuskegee head coach Benjy Taylor ended up in handcuffs while trying to usher his players safely off the court.
Video circulating online shows the 58-year-old coach speaking with a campus security officer near the handshake line as students pour onto the floor following Morehouse’s 77–69 win. Seconds later, the situation escalates. Taylor is restrained and escorted away, still visibly frustrated.
According to Tuskegee officials, the confrontation stemmed from a breakdown in standard game-day security. Athletic director Reginald Ruffin said the coach had flagged what he believed was a risk: football players joining the basketball teams during the handshake process, creating extra bodies and confusion in an already crowded space.
“We have security measures for our protection of our officials, our student athlete coaches and spectators,” Ruffin said. “You got football players shaking hands with the team. You don’t do that… that’s a security breach.”
Ruffin added that Taylor asked security to clear the area and disputed claims that the coach was aggressive. Instead, the university says he was doing what any head coach would do—protecting his roster.
Taylor was released shortly after and returned home with the team.
In a joint statement, school leadership said the coach has their “full, unequivocal, and unwavering support,” emphasizing that his actions were consistent with efforts to safeguard student-athletes and staff.
The statement also noted that placing a coach in handcuffs during a game environment falls outside what’s considered normal or acceptable in college athletics.
Taylor later spoke out about the moment, describing it as humiliating.
“I am at a loss for words and I am upset about how I was violated and treated today,” he 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… It was a very dangerous situation.”
Representatives for Morehouse did not immediately respond to People’s request for a comment.