Donald Copeland is currently suspended as the head college basketball coach at Wagner College. He is accused of mistreating his players and abuse.
The allegations led directly to a mass departure during the offseason.
Athletic director Walt Hameline confirmed the investigation is ongoing but, as of this writing, no formal determination of wrongdoing has been made. The Seahawks are scheduled to begin the 2025-26 college basketball season at home on Nov. 3.
Donald Copeland is accused of psychologically damaging behavior.
According to Zach Braziller, Donald Copeland is currently serving an indefinite suspension while the administration determines how to move forward. Multiple players filed complaints to school administrators.
In one alleged practice scenario, players were denied water. Copeland supposedly said, “if you’re thirsty, swallow your spit.” That seems to be a recurring theme.
One player supposedly hid a Gatorade bottle in the gym to try and keep himself hydrated. Copeland then made his team run “until the Gatorade was out of his belly” when he found the bottle.
Two players reportedly passed out from dehydration and one went to the hospital.
Other claims against Copeland include insults about players’ upbringings and harsh language.
“I feel scared to speak out,” one current player told the New York Post. “The behavior has caused significant emotional distress … in practice he uses bullying tactics … harsh or foul/inappropriate language … extreme film sessions … mentally bashed and cussed out.”
Former Wagner guard R.J. Greene corroborated the claims. The alleged verbal abuse was frequent.
“It wasn’t like once in a while,” he said. “Once in a while might’ve been tolerable, but it was every single day.”
He also says the program felt militaristic and toxic.
Wagner lost its entire college basketball team.
This investigation comes just six weeks before the Seahawks open the 2025-26 college basketball season at home. It is unclear as to what will happen if Donald Copeland is fired.
Either way, this current Wagner College roster looks completely different than it did a year ago.
All but two players on last year’s team decided to leave. The turnover stemmed directly from the head coach’s alleged behavior. Assistant coach Kevin Lynch also left the program.
The Seahawks hired Copeland to replace Bashir Mason in 2022.
They went 15-13 in his first season. They went 17-16 and reached the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in program history in year two. Wagner finished at 14-16 last season and 8-8 in the NEC.
Donald Copeland’s overall record in three seasons sits one game over .500 at 46-45. He may not be allowed to coach his 92nd game with the program.