Wagner Coach Donald Copeland Suspended Amid Player Abuse …

Wagner men’s basketball coach Donald Copeland has been suspended and is under investigation for allegedly mistreating and abusing his players.

Athletic director Walt Hameline told CBS Sports that the Staten Island program moved quickly after receiving multiple complaints about Copeland’s conduct. The allegations were first reported by the New York Post and accuse the fourth-year head coach of verbally abusing players and denying them water breaks during practices.

Former Wagner guard R.J. Greene, who transferred after last season, described the environment as toxic “every single day,” and each practice was “like a war, on and off the court.”

In one alleged incident, Copeland reportedly forced players to run to exhaustion after finding a hidden Gatorade bottle in the gym. Two players allegedly collapsed from dehydration, according to an email obtained by the Post, and one was hospitalized. Copeland has not publicly commented on the investigation, nor has he been found responsible for any of the allegations.

Hameline issued a statement stressing the school’s priority is the safety of its athletes, saying, “Wagner College takes student health and well-being seriously. Upon learning of these allegations, we moved quickly to review them. As we continue to do so, we will not comment further on this matter.”

Copeland led Wagner to the NCAA Tournament in 2024 after the program captured the NEC’s automatic bid, but it has since unraveled. All but two players departed after last season’s 10–16 campaign, and multiple assistants, including former associate coach Kevin Lynch, also left in the offseason.