Lol it's a simple case of the snake learning that whenever the tank opens = it's time to eat, from your first sentence. The last owner only opened the tank to feed it. Ball pythons aren't aggressive or territorial.
Once your coworker opens his cage regularly just to handle it and not to feed it, it will learn that an open tank doesn't necessarily mean food anymore. If they're scared of the snake rushing up, they can use a rolled up paper towel to "stroke" the snake if they're going to handle. He will eventually learn that being pet with a paper towel means there's no food coming.
edit: bcr beat me to it LOL, and my 2nd paragraph is just the concept of hook training. But if you don't have a hook, you can use any long safe object.
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