"Coach Daley created the hostile, divided culture, and AD Bryant allowed it to continue. One of the favorites even sympathized with abused players through tears. "

"“One of the best coaches I’ve ever had” — that’s easy to say when you were one of the favorites. I wasn’t. I watched one player lead the team and rank 6th in the SWAC in strikeouts, yet still get named MVP. Another got the Bulldog Award for leadership, even though she mostly kept to herself or the other favorites. A decent hitter with poor defense was never held accountable. And the assistant coach’s daughter? Always protected. Meanwhile, the rest of us were demeaned, verbally and psychologically abused, benched, had our scholarships or playing time reduced or were cut entirely. "

"I gave everything to this program, but Coach Daley and Coach Hewitt left me mentally broken. I didn’t walk away or get cut, I graduated — but I left drained, hurt, and nothing like the player I once was. They created a toxic environment built on fear, favoritism, and silence. To the girls who’ve already committed: if you’re not a favorite, protect your mental health. Speak up early. Don’t lose yourself trying to survive a system that only supports a chosen few. You deserve so much more than what we endured."

"These reviews are exactly as Brian Daley comes. He does not communicate, he does not value players, and he does not give feedback. What is very good at is tearing athletes down, not working with players unless you kiss his you know what, and gossiping about his players to their own teammates like a 12 year old girl. As far as “Coach Hewitt and Coach Rico leading the team to more of a winning record” this team had more than 50% of transfers come in and help lead the team to a winning record. There were THREE GIRLS from the team before this past year that STARTED. It wasn’t the coaches, it was the players putting in the work that went unnoticed, the players that stayed after practice and worked on their own when coach daley would not. RECRUITS DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!!! The same reviews uplifting these coaches are gonna be the same people draining your experience. "

"As a parent, I couldn’t stay silent after reading the June 22 review titled “Alabama A&M Coaches Are Good.” I wish that were true. But what was written doesn’t reflect what many of us witnessed firsthand. Yes, the team won more, they were talented players, but their biggest wins came without Daley or Hewitt on the field. Instead of celebrating the players, those coaches responded with retaliation. Their talent was punished. Girls were cursed at, benched, suspended to sabotage games, and pushed out. Stats were manipulated to favor his picks. That .315 batting average? Ask where the player is who led it? What that review calls “purposeful practices,” these players experienced as hostile, demeaning, and psychologically damaging. And when they reported the abuse? AD Paul Bryant stayed silent and allowed it to continue. He protected the coach — not the players. To families and recruits reading both reviews: dig deeper. The wins didn’t come from coaching. They came from players the system tried to break. Ask where they are now — and ask why they’re gone. "

"Our daughters came to AAMU proud to represent an HBCU. But what they’ve endured under the current coaching staff has been heartbreaking: verbal abuse, racial insensitivity, psychological harm, and retaliation after they bravely spoke up. Some were even dismissed from the team. Coach Daley belittled a player during a game. She made an awesome play then wiped tears from her eyes because of his constant berating. Do not recommend."

"Two glowing reviews posted the same day can’t hide the truth. Brian Daley used a team that wasn’t his — only two were his recruits — to get his wins. Once he had his record, the sabotage and abuse began. Players faced verbal and mental abuse, punished for displaying HBCU culture, threatened, and benched. When they found the courage to report it to the athletic department, the abuse intensified, followed by mass dismissals. This wasn’t about building a program. It was about feeding Daley’s ego and maintaining control. A Title IX investigation is ACTIVE for a reason!!!!"

"He did not want to win with this team. He got mad when they won at Alabama State without him. This is when the sabotage began. He didn’t want to win with this team because it wasn’t “his”the verbal and psychological abuse escalated, culture was erased, constant threats of removal of team, and intentionally losing games because it didn’t fit his big ego. Daly and Hewitt are evil, narcissistic people. "

"To the incoming recruits at Alabama A&M: Please read these reviews and do your research. Parents, do your research as well. These coaches treated these girls awful, and spoke to them awful. My daughter has been playing softball since she was 7 years old. Her coaches throughout the years have always been encouraging and supportive! The coaches at Alabama A&M were degrading, did not listen to the girls and refused to give them help when they asked for it. They were the absolute worse coaches my daughter has EVER played for. In all of her years playing ball, from rec to travel to college, she has NEVER been cut from a team. I honestly don’t think coach Daley knows what to look for in a player or recognize true talent!! The girls took their concerns to the AD, NOTHING WAS DONE! The girls mental health was crushed and nobody wanted to listen to them or help!!"

"Coach Daley and Coach Hewitt are horrible examples of coaches. I can’t believe that the school is not answering these girls cry for help. These girls expressed their concerns to TWO assistant AD’s and there feelings were blatantly dismissed, even being told by the assistant AD for mental health that she “will be on the side of the coaches” and even took it a step further and said she will “make sure others is the athletic department know to not help” if they tried to go to someone else in the department. Do not trust these people with your daughter. "

"Coach Brian Daley reportedly referred to an opposing team’s display of HBCU pride as “low class.” Assistant Coach Rebecca Hewitt told players, “I don’t know if this is an HBCU thing, but we ain’t doing it,” in reference to their celebratory behavior. She went on to describe the music the team played as “ghetto” and said the players looked like “jumping monkeys.” Players were later forced to sign contracts agreeing not to engage in HBCU-style celebrations. At a game against Troy, AAMU players were called the N-word by opposing team members. Both Black and white players reported it to Coach Hewitt. She did and said nothing. That silence spoke volumes. These are not just inappropriate comments—they are racially charged and deeply offensive, especially from an all-white coaching staff at a historically Black university. This culture of erasure and indifference helps explain why so many players felt silenced, devalued, and ultimately discarded."

"So coach Daley I hear has a TikTok page promoting his swing aid to use for improving hitting. How many times did he bring this out at practices??? Not many, because from my understanding several girls asked these coaches for help with their hitting. He had a tool, did he ever use it to help these girls that were asking for help? I’m not understanding his purpose for being a coach if he’s not gonna utilize something he has access to that will help these girls succeed. If my intent was to come into this program to win SWAC in 2 years, I would use anything I could to get there and prove I could do it. "

"From the looks of these ratings, it’s very concerning about what is going on in this softball program at AAMU, and needs to be addressed immediately! If nothing is done about the issues at hand, there will no longer be a softball program. These reviews are horrible! And sounds like the coaches are too! And shame on the administrators allowing this behavior! "

"The athletes meet with Abiola Wilson Brigmon (Assistant AD) to share their concerns and mistreatment during the season. In those discussion, Wilson-Brigmon agreed with the athletes that the behavior was unacceptable and needed to be addressed. The mental abuse continued even after administration was notified. Shame on Abiola Wilson-Brigmon for ignoring the athletes cry-outs and normalizing this behavior. Her lack of accountability means that she agrees with the behavior and is fostered the climate of fear, intimidation and abuse. Coach Daley knew that he could get away with this inappropriate behavior because of his previous relationship/friendship with the Assistant AD and AD. You see this is extreme loyalty here.... they all worked together at Edward Waters University. Don't risk your daughter's mental health under the leadership of Coach Brian Daley. "

"Coach Daley has managed to ruin this program in one year and no one seems to be on the girls side. What he did last week was a disgusting example of how these girls have been treated behind closed doors. He has lied to and manipulated them from the beginning and is continuing to lie to recruits about who he is and what it means to him to be the coach at AAMU. He has made disrespectful, backhanded comments (some hinting at race) and continuously makes excuses for his actions. All he craves is power and control and for these girls to not have a voice. If you speak up for yourself or for your teammates, you’re punished. If you plan to grow as an individual, then please don’t make the same mistake I did and allow your child to play for this man. Unless your child will kiss his butt and do everything he says like a puppet, then she will be miserable the entire year. "

"It’s so disheartening to learn of how he did these girls at the end of the season. Didn’t even give them a chance at another year. He had his mind made up from the start he wasn’t keeping 1/2 the team cause he didn’t recruit them. That’s sorry and so disappointing! The language he used around these girls was low class, cause that’s what he displayed! There was nothing classy about this coaching staff! Some of these girls depended on their athletic scholarship to further their education and he ripped that from them! And several only had 1 year left. He was ready to get rid of them so he could bring in what HE wanted! He proved that in practices by the way he would talk to them!! All the coaches had filthy language! And used it daily!!!"

"If you’re considering Alabama A&M softball under Coach Brian Daly, know what you’re stepping into. This program has become mentally and emotionally unsafe for anyone outside his inner circle. The team began SWAC play 5–1 and would’ve been 6–0 if not for a substitution error by Assistant Coach Riches—who has no coaching experience and whose daughter was clearly favored. Daly and Hewitt were absent during that successful Alabama State series. Daly never wanted this team to win. Not only were they winning, they did it without him, and it bruised his ego and didn’t fit into with his plan. He had to stop this momentum. He escalated the abuse: profanity, suspensions, players benched without reason, berated in front of teammates, constant threats of removal, and erratic coaching decisions designed to sabotage the team’s success, He and Hewitt created a hostile environment—designed to break and ultimately discard those who were not “his” girls. Even worse, the cultural identity of this HBCU is being erased. Traditions like celebrations and cheering were banned. Players were even pressured to sign agreements stating they would not engage in traditional HBCU behavior. This team had everything it needed to make a run and WIN the SWAC championship but this coaching staff deliberately sabotaged their chances to fit their egotistical agenda. This isn’t about playing time. It’s about protecting young women from abuse and a system that failed them. To families and future recruits: Be warned—He lies with intention—saying one thing, doing the opposite, just to play mind games and keep the girls off balance. If you value integrity, transparency, and a healthy environment, this is not where you’ll find it. "

"Is this the best AAMU could get hiring these coaches? Worst coaching staff in the history of coaching. Seems they are there for a paycheck only! I could tell after each game I attended these girls had no excitement for the game, no smiles on their faces and didn’t wanna be there. I felt sorry for them cause that’s not the way it’s supposed to be as a college athlete. Hope the ones in charge do something about this before it’s too late. Good luck in the future if they continue being the softball coaches, cause this program will go NOWHERE!!"

"Coach Brian Daley makes it impossible to for these students to go anywhere. He has mentally destroyed so many students and I'm sorry this is taking place at my HBCU. As an alumni, I have experienced the motto "Start Here and Go Anywhere". I would love to see that experience for these softball players. He is destroying the university which many alumnus have worked so hard to maintain and cultivate. This behavior is unacceptable and cannot be allowed. I attended many of the games and experienced many of the girls leaving devastated. It appears this is just a job for Coach Daley and he is bring the university down. These young players deserve better. Shame on Coach Brian Daley and his coaching staff. Most of all shame on AAMU's president and his staff that is allowing this toxic behavior. "

"Worst softball coach my daughter has ever played for. She was miserable from day 1. He does not need to be coaching girls, he has no sympathy and could care less how he talks to the girls. Dropping the F bomb during practices and during games. He’s horrible "

"He was deeply disappointing and, at times, emotionally damaging. While I expected tough coaching and high expectations, what I encountered crossed the line into verbal and emotional abuse. Rather than constructive criticism, Daley Brian often resorted to yelling, personal attacks, and public humiliation, especially during practices and games. This created a toxic environment where many players felt afraid to make mistakes, not motivated to improve."

"As an AAMU alumni softball player, I was extremely disappointed when I attended this season’s games. I did not hear any of the typical cheers or chants. I saw zero coaching from the coaching staff. As I sat in the stands, one of the coaches’ spouses was talking negatively about the team, and other spectators seemed uncomfortable and not interested in being there. The atmosphere was so thick with negative energy, I could barely stay to watch the whole game. I honestly couldn’t believe what I was witnessing, but it definitely was not the AAMU softball team that I was a part of. You could definitely tell the coaching staff did not respect the culture of a HBCU. The athletic director and administrators should be ashamed of themselves for hiring such poor representatives for this university, especially individuals that do not understand the culture. "

"I came to play at AAMU excited for this new chapter of my life and it hurts me to say that Brian Daley has turned this into my worst nightmare. As a player it is impossible to perform when your coach has no faith in you from the get go and when your walking on eggshells because you are absolutely terrified to do the wrong thing. Coach Daley told us at the beginning of the season that he wanted to develop us as people not just as players, but that was just a lie. when some people asked coach daley for extra reps or to help them with their specific needs, he simply said no. I was mocked and belittled by him daily. As someone who is supposed to be a leader and help guide us through this chapter of our lives, all he did was guide us into a mental instability hole. I have never felt this insecure and worthless in my entire life. I advise you to make the best decision for you...not just you as a player but you as a human , who deserves to be mentally healthy. "

"As a parent it is absolutely heartbreaking to watch my child's mental health decline because of ONE coach. I sent my daughter off to college hoping that she would be entering into a safe environment, but i sure was wrong. Brian Daley did nothing but degrade his players and made them question their worth on and off the field. No player should be treated the way that this man treated the group of girls at Alabama A&M. Telling players "I don't know how you got D1 offers", promising them playing time but not giving them the time of day during season, and talking crap about players to other members of the team. There is no justification for telling other players that their teammates would be getting cut at the end of the season DURING GAMES AND PRACTICE. His behavior is completely unacceptable. I am not the type of parent to allow my child to not take accountability for her actions, but in this situation, she and her teammates, did everything they could and they were still told they would never be enough. How can a player be mentally well after the turmoil he put them though. Please learn from my mistakes. Guide your children in a better direction. "

"AAMU Administrators -Shame on you! I have been hearing about the new coaching staff at AAMU softball and how they have been demoralizing the players on the team. This weekend it was apparent that they don't respect, understand or care about the culture of a HISTORICALLY BLACK College University or the student athletes who want to proudly represent AAMU. First, let me be clear on how I hope this message is received. I hope it opens the minds of the all white coaching staff who has been brought in to change the "culture" of AAMU softball. If the coaching staff took a job at AAMU for the betterment of this program and to uplift these young ladies by all means do so, however it you are at this HISTORICALLY BLACK College University with the intentions of changing history and what it represents to the students for which these institutions HAD to be established for, maybe you should consider coaching elsewhere. AAMU has a diverse team, which is very appealing, however when looking at the recent recruiting efforts of this new staff, we are seeing the elimination of girls of color. What is being shown to current players is that this coaching staff wants nothing to do with anyone who looks like them, may think like them or share the same values as them. Seeing this along with the verbal degradation has put some emotional stress on the young ladies on this team. AAMU has a host of talented players who are not playing to their full capability due to most of them playing under a different type of pressure that is illuminating from this coaching staff and the lack of support that is supposed to be given to them by the Athletic Mental Health Director. This weekend this team was told that they can no longer do the chants that are a staple in HISTORICALLY BLACK College Universities and predominate in the SWAC. These chants are rooted in our history. These chants are how we connect with one another and express who we are. To have a coach with obviously no understanding of our culture tell our girls to silence themselves and to refer to our expression of self as "low class" is in itself low class. I kid you not when I tell you those exact words came from the mouth of an AAMU coach when JSU were celebrating their hard-fought win in typical SWAC fashion. He stood there with his head high and chest out speaking to our girls, insulting their heritage as if he were showing them a better way. Previously, joy, laughter and chants could be heard coming from the dugouts of AAMU. This weekend they were barely cheering for one another when uplifting one another was needed most I say shame on AAMU Administrators for allowing this to happen. For allowing what should be a safe place for higher learning and personal growth for students of color to be turned into a place of shaming and disrespect. I hope this post sparks a much-needed conversation that will lead to a positive change. Unapologetically HBCU!"