Alabama baseball coaches, trainer facing lawsuit for alleged mistreatment of ex-player

Three members of the Alabama Crimson Tide baseball coaching staff are being sued for allegedly mishandling a former player’s injury.

According to court documents filed in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court, coach Brad Bohannon, pitching coach Jason Jackson and athletic trainer Sean Stryker are facing a lawsuit for wantonness, alleged negligence and breach of agreement for their handling of former pitcher Johnny Blake Bennett’s arm injury.

The defense is seeking to dismiss the suit. A hearing is scheduled for June 20.

“The university does not comment on pending litigation but looks forward to sharing the actual facts with the court,” the school’s athletic department said in a prepared statement.

“The mental and physical well-being of its student-athletes is of the utmost importance to the university. We have supreme confidence in our coaching staffs and provide our student-athletes with access to the best sports medicine personnel and sports psychology practitioners in the country.”

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Per the complaint, a couple of weeks after Bennett was injured, he began to struggle to control his pitches. The suit alleges Bohannon, Jackson and Stryker played a role in the mismanagement of Bennett’s recovery.

The suit also claimed Bennett repeatedly told coaches and the trainer he was having some sort of issue with his arm.

“Gosh, I really wish I could talk about some specifics. I really wish I could. But, unfortunately, you know, I can’t,” Bohannon said Friday.

“I really believe that we provide our student-athletes with access to the absolute best sports medicine and sports psychology resources in the country, and you know, this is the third SEC school that I’ve been at, and I would put our sports medicine personnel against any school in the country and even professional organizations. They’re just outstanding. We place a real premium on mental and physical well-being of our student athletes, so that’s all I have to say about it.”

Bennett was eventually diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome and underwent surgery in March 2020. The pitcher alleges he was informed by Bohannon in May that the school decided against renewing his athletic scholarship.

Bennett transferred to Pensacola State College but ultimately withdrew from the school. He later enrolled at Jacksonville State University, however he was dismissed in May 2022. 

Bennett and the Gamecocks played Alabama just two days prior to his dismissal.