While on the stand, during an eligibility hearing, Ole Miss coach Joe Judge described his unconventional approach to player performance. For the former New York Giants head coach, a player’s performance on game day is more important than his partner’s recovery from childbirth. His bizarre coaching philosophy has now drawn a strong response from a prominent ESPN reporter.

This testimony quickly went viral, drawing a sharp rebuke from Molly McGrath. Taking to her X account, McGrath delivered a blistering response that highlighted the physical and emotional intensity of childbirth and recovery that Judge’s “coaching” seemed to ignore. She wrote:

“I invite Joe Judge to experience being in labor for 18 hours…or 24 hours…to endure the complications that come with what feels like destroying your body for a baby, to pee every time with those stitches. He should experience the debilitating postpartum depression that affects up to 80% of women who don’t get a choice on whether to get out of bed or not, even on two hours of sleep. And on top of the endless diaper changing and nursing, they have to cook and clean and cook and clean. Because motherhood has no offseason. Or a training room. Or a locker room full of support.”

McGrath went on to challenge the double standard in Joe’s logic, questioning why the responsibility of household stability falls solely on the woman. She pointedly asked:

“Why is this a conversation that needs to be had with young mothers and not a conversation with athletes about personal responsibility? It takes two people to make a baby.”

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The situation has sparked a broader debate about the “football-first” culture and the reality of modern parenting. While elite athletes certainly require recovery time, critics argue that pregnancy and the postpartum phase are equally, if not more, demanding.

But where did Joe’s comments stem from in the first place?

At the end of the 2025 season, Trinidad  Chambliss emerged as one of the best quarterbacks for the Ole Miss Rebels since he helped them win over Georgia in the College Football Playoff. The quarterback then re-signed with Ole Miss, but there is a catch. He needs to land an extra year of eligibility, but the NCAA has denied the request.

Since the university is appealing for Trinidad’s eligibility, Joe’s comments came during the appeal process when he was asked to testify on the writer’s behalf.

Ole Miss Coach makes controversial statements on football players

Joe Judge has a reputation for being hard on women, and his latest comments only back that up. Shortly after testifying for Chambliss, Joe made it clear that he still thinks football comes before family. He argued that his main job is to keep players focused, even if that means telling their partners to handle everything at home alone. 

“We would have to educate. This is always a tough conversation to have. It’s not a popular opinion, but this is the truth. We would have to educate significant others who may have been pregnant during the season, or going to have a baby during the season…you have this baby during the season, that father has to play good football.”

The situation became awkward when he explained exactly how he thinks new mothers should behave to keep the players “ready.”

“It’s a day-by-day production business. He has to be ready to perform and go out there and play. And when I say that, is you need to let him sleep. He needs to be in another room, detached. We need to explain to the mothers like, he ain’t getting up for midnight feedings.”

People on social media were furious, calling Joe “tone-deaf” and “insensitive.” Many argued that being a professional athlete isn’t an excuse to skip out on being a parent.