Wagner College head basketball coach Donald Copeland has been suspended and is being investigated by the school for alleged mistreatment and verbal abuse of players.
According to the New York Post, Copeland verbally berated his own players and denied them access to water breaks during intense practices.
While Copeland has not been found responsible for these accused actions, multiple complaints were sent to the school – which led to the investigation.
Sources told the Post that Copeland’s behavior was the main reason why only two players returned to the school from last season – with former players alleging he caused ‘psychological damage’.
According to one complaint from a current player, Copeland allowed minimal – if any – water breaks during workouts this summer.
Per the Post, when players asked for water, Copeland would respond, ‘If you’re thirsty, swallow your spit.’
Wagner coach Donald Copeland has been suspended while the school is investigating multiple claims from current and former players of abusive behavior and alleged mistreatment
Copeland would deny players water and would berate them during practices
Other allegations include when a player hid a Gatorade bottle in the gym. When Copeland found it, he ordered his players to run, telling them ‘You’re all going to run until the Gatorade is out of his belly.’
Two players passed out due to dehydration with one of those players going to the hospital, according to the Post.
A former player said he was called a ‘p***y, a b****, a punk, a vagina’ by Copeland. That same player said when he made mistakes in practice, Copeland would sometimes ‘stand there and point to his private parts’.
Other players said Copeland would tell them their parents gave birth to a ‘p***y’ and that their poor performances were a reflection of their upbringing.
Letters sent to the school’s administration also detailed ‘extreme film session[s], to which we the players refer to [as] a funeral because we know we are about to be mentally bashed and cussed out’.
Neither Copeland or Wagner athletic director Walt Hameline responded to requests for comment from the Post.
Copeland, 41, is a Jersey City native who played at St. Anthony High School under Basketball Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley Sr., the father of UConn head coach Dan Hurley.
After playing his college basketball as a guard at Seton Hall, Copeland played briefly overseas and then returned stateside to coach – beginning as a grad assistant at Wagner.
Copeland led Wagner to the school’s second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024
He briefly served as an assistant coach at his alma mater before returning to Wagner as its head coach in 2022.
In three seasons in charge of the Seahawks, Copeland has a record of 46-45 overall and has a record of 21-27 in the Northeast Conference.
In 2024, Copeland won the NEC title and took Wagner to the March Madness for the second time in school history.
After winning their First Four matchup against Howard, Wagner promptly lost to one-seed North Carolina in their Round of 64 contest.
