Wagner College (N.Y.) basketball coach Donald Copeland has been suspended, pending an internal investigation, for allegedly mistreating and verbally abusing student-athletes.
According to CBS Sports, among several accusations against Copeland is that the fourth-year coach denied players access to water during difficult workouts, leading to the hospitalization of one athlete. In that case, the student-athlete attempted to hide a Gatorade bottle in the gym so he could hydrate, but Copeland found it and reportedly told players to run “until the Gatorade is out of his belly.” That player was found to be severely dehydrated when arriving at the hospital.
R.J. Greene, who entered the transfer portal after last season, described Copeland’s coaching as “a war, on and off the court.”
The coach’s language that players reported to several news outlets includes frequent obscenities and harmful language, like telling one student athlete he would “be a loser in life.”
According to a report from the New York Post, only two players from last year’s team remain on the current roster. Those who transferred cited Copeland’s behavior as their reason for seeking other opportunities. They described Copeland’s coaching as “a lot of things done that aren’t normal.”
When reporting the abuse to school officials, players wrote a letter that said, “In practice, he uses a bullying tactic in coaching style, saying cruel things about our upbringing or using harsh or foul/inappropriate language with the players that just tear us down mentally.”
Wagner College has not commented on the length or possible consequences of Copeland’s suspension, and Copeland himself has also not released a statement.
"Wagner College takes student health and well-being seriously,” said athletic director Walt Hameline in a statement. “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."
