When the American Athletic Conference Softball Tournament begins on Wednesday with a contest between the University of Alabama Birmingham Blazers and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, one team will be without its head coach. The 2026 UAB Blazers started the year with a dream of reaching Oklahoma City, and as they endured unimaginable trauma during preseason conditioning and throughout the regular season, that dream quickly turned into their worst nightmare. The nightmare began almost as soon as Taylor Smartt arrived in Birmingham in August 2024. What followed, according to sources within the program, raised serious concerns, including claims of racist remarks, physical and mental abuse, an inappropriate relationship between Smartt, Director of Operations, Julie Money, and a student-athlete, as well as NCAA violations and Title IX violations.…