College football coach sends threatening message to progressive journalist

The folks who want to leave sports out of politics had difficulty practicing what they preached on Monday.

After Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, ESPN decided to air a politically charged message during halftime of the National Championship Game. The broadcast was anything but apolitical.

Similarly, Long Beach City College head coach Brett Peabody was embroiled in controversy following a series of regrettable social media decisions, including sending a threatening message to an independent journalist on X (formerly Twitter).

Progressive journalist Aaron Rupar uncovered the messages and shared them with his followers. After significant backlash, Peabody responded to the Long Beach Post but showed little remorse. He seemed more concerned with the negative attention his comments brought to his football program than with the message itself.

In the message, Peabody wrote, “You’re done, you sorry fascist scumbag. Hope you get held accountable for the bullsh*t that [you’ve] spread. Justice is on the horizon, kiddo.”

I get lots of threatening DMs but I usually don’t get them from head coaches of college football programs

(@PitLifeCoachP appears to be the coach at @LBCityCollege) pic.twitter.com/3MNxBLUmlN

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 20, 2025

Rupar, no stranger to receiving threats on social media, noted that this message stood out, given that it came from the head coach of a college football program.

Peabody’s account is currently set to private.

In his conversation with the Long Beach Post, Peabody admitted that the message was “clearly not the best decision” and acknowledged that it had brought unwanted attention to the college. However, he insisted that the language was simply a “criticism” of Rupar’s coverage of Trump and labeled the journalist’s online behavior as “unprofessional.”

Peabody further downplayed the seriousness of the message, saying, “It was not a threat in any way, shape, or form. If you read it, I’m not sure how it could be construed as a threat. … I’d like to see journalists held at a higher standard.”

Rupar wasn’t looking for Peabody to be fired but turned the tables on the embattled college head coach, telling the Post, “I think people like that need to be a little more accountable for their actions. I think it’s a bit out of line.”

He also attempted to shed light on the confusing non-apology apology.

I agree it’s a little confusing but sounds like he’s apologizing for bringing negative attention to the school but not for his message to me. He certainly hasn’t apologized to me.

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 21, 2025