Benjamin “Coach” Wade isn’t second-guessing everything from “Survivor 50” — but there’s one early decision he believes could have changed the outcome of his game.
In a post-elimination interview with Entertainment Weekly, Coach reflected on how he approached alliances, revealing that he would have made a different choice when it came to his closest in-game partnership. And how it could’ve prevented him from elimination.
Coach Says He Would Have Chosen a Different Partner
Looking back, Coach made it clear his biggest change would have come during the game’s partner twist — not his overall alliance strategy.
“I think I should have gotten a different partner,” he said. “I would’ve picked somebody outside of our alliance. Nothing about Chrissy. We started this game together, we finished this game together, we had a great relationship. But I would’ve picked somebody from the other alliance, for sure.”
On the episode, players were required to pair up before learning the full stakes of the twist. Only after those partnerships were locked in did it become clear that the vote at Tribal Council would target duos — with both members of the selected pair going home.
That detail adds critical context to Coach’s reflection.
Rather than simply reinforcing his existing alliance by pairing with Chrissy, Coach now suggests he may have benefited from choosing someone outside his group — a move that could have shifted how the target fell once the twist was revealed.
The Players He Had in Mind
When asked who he would have chosen instead, Coach pointed to a couple of names.
“I probably would’ve picked Rizo. Or maybe Christian.”
He went on to explain why Rizo, in particular, stood out to him during the game.
“Rizo had actually taken 10 days off. He laid flat on his back and was jumping in confessionals, but he doesn’t drink coconuts and he doesn’t eat anything. So the guy was literally wasted on the bamboo. They were the unsung heroes and they were in my alliance, I thought at the time, but they were outside of my alliance.”
The comment underscores how Coach viewed the dynamics at camp — and how he may have misread where certain players truly stood.
A Missed Opportunity in a Shifting Game
Coach’s reflection points to a familiar Survivor dilemma: loyalty versus adaptability.
By staying aligned with his original group, he limited his options as the numbers began to shift — especially as other players started to view him as a threat.
That dynamic ultimately played out in this week’s episode, where a chaotic Tribal Council and a rare voting scenario led to his elimination.
Looking back, Coach didn’t frame his decision as a total misstep — but he made it clear that a different early partnership could have opened the door to a different outcome.
In a season as unpredictable as “Survivor 50,” that kind of flexibility can make all the difference.
