College football coach fired after posting ‘hateful’ tweet about Stacey Abrams

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga fired an assistant coach after posting a tweet denigrating former gubernatorial candidate and Georgia activist Stacey Abrams, the school reported in a 45-second video.

Chris Malone, who was an offensive line coach for the Mocs, smeared Abrams while peddling allegations of voter fraud in a now deleted tweet Tuesday night.

“Kudos to State GA and Fat Albert @staceyabrams because you really showed America the real job of cheating in an election, once again !!! Enjoy the Big Girl Buffet !! You’ve got it won !!! not governor! ”he said, from the screenshots of the tweet.

University Chancellor Steven Angle condemned his tweet, calling it “hateful, hurtful and false” in a video two days later.

“Coach Malone is no longer with this university,” Angle said Thursday. “University faculty and staff are expected to lead in a way that creates and maintains a respectful and tolerant civilian campus environment.”

“The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga does not condone and unequivocally condemns discrimination and hatred in any form,” Angle added.

Team head coach Rusty Wright also slammed Malone’s tweet Thursday in a statement.

“What was posted on social media by a member of my staff is unacceptable and is not part of what I stand for or what Chattanooga Football stands for,” he said. “Life is bigger than football and as leaders of young men we have to lead by example above all else. Having said that, effective immediately, this is no longer on my staff.”

According to the school’s deleted biography page, Malone was in his second year as the team’s assistant coach. Malone, who has coached at various schools since 1998, made a stint at Virginia State University, a historically black university.

Many have credited Abrams for the Democrats’ recent success at the polls in Georgia, where she and grassroots organizations helped boost voter turnout This led to projected victories for Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in their Senate second-round races and gave his party a majority in the Senate. She is also credited as instrumental in the victory of President-elect Joe Biden in a traditionally Red state.