Snoop Dogg has become quite a presence at the Olympics. This year, he was named Team USA's first-ever Honorary Coach for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. He has also been a correspondent for NBC’s Olympics coverage over the years, and his commentary with Kevin Hart is one of the most entertaining broadcasts (and something Snoop was paid handsomely for). He even got his hands on the Olympic torch. It seems like this year he took the honorary coach title quite seriously, as he texted ice dancers Evan Bates and Madison Chock after their performance, which was a mega-cool moment for the skaters.
During a recent interview with US Weekly, Bates revealed that the iconic rapper texted hims and dance partner (and spouse) Chock the day after the duo took home the silver medal for Team USA. He revealed that the message was incredibly sweet and also surreal, considering both athletes Snoop’s status as a public pop culture icon. Bates said:
We woke up a day after competing, and we had this really encouraging, beautiful message written by Snoop, It’s not every day you wake up to a text from Snoop. I was like, ‘This is crazy.’
According to Madison Chock, the message was simple, but very heartfelt, and pretty wise. Bates also said that the message surrounded the silver medal win, and how the medal was something to be proud of, even if it wasn’t the gold skaters naturally are hoping for. He said:
Article continues belowHe was just saying that a silver medal is something to be really proud of, and [to] keep our chins high and be really proud of the work that we’ve done representing Team USA. It meant a lot to us to hear from them and so many other people back home who have reached out and supported us. It means a lot, definitely.
Notably, Bates and Chock took home the silver for their individual ice dance competition, but they took home the gold for the team event which they competed in. Bringing home both a gold and silver medal is far from coming home empty handed. I agree with Snoop Dogg, that they represented Team USA remarkably, and they should be proud of themselves.
It was a difficult competition, with France ultimately taking home the gold medal. Regardless, an Olympic medal is an Olympic medal, and Bates and Chock are still some of the best skaters in the world.
While it’s not a gold medal, a message from Snoop Dogg complimenting your prowess and admiring the way you represented Team USA is pretty amazing, especially paired with a Silver Medal. This shows that the Olympics truly are an event that brings people together in very unexpected ways. Snoop clearly took the role of an honorary coach to heart and did what he could to encourage the athletes in his unique way, with his particular brand of wisdom. I’d love to know what Snoop texted the other athletes, and how else he made himself a part of the Olympic community.
When Snoop Dogg isn’t giving wise, encouraging feedback to America’s best athletes, you can hear him on his animated show Doggyland, which is available on YouTube. He is also lending his voice to the upcoming 2026 movie schedule entry Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie, which hits theaters on August 14th. Fans of the Winter Olympics can also experience this year’s best moments now with a Peacock subscription.
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