I have always gone to center court and met my partner there prior to going to the table. Allow players and coaches to retreat to the locker room and once they have gone then go take care of the arrow and books. This makes it difficult for a coach to get cheap shots in like the one you described. I have also had coaches specifically try to wait at the table so that they can get something said to me or my partner and if you wait at center court until they have gone to the locker room you take that possiblity away.

This was a mechanic that I was taught a few years ago that has saved more than its share of coaches from getting T'd up after the half is over.