Morehead State University men’s basketball coach Sean Woods faces a misdemeanor battery charge after two of his players accused him of assault.
According to players Malik Maitland and Soufiyane Diakite, Woods shoved and hit them during Morehead State’s Nov. 19 game against Evansville. Court documents obtained by TV station WKYT reveal that Maitland claimed he was backhanded in the chest at halftime, and Diatkite claimed he was shoved twice, once during a timeout and again in the locker room.
The players came to Morehead State police with the accusations, who then contacted police in Evansville. The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that Woods was charged Tuesday in Indiana with battery resulting in bodily injury.
Woods has been serving a suspension from his position since Nov. 22. When the suspension was announced, athletic director Brian Hutchinson released a statement:
“Resulting from complaints received, the institution has begun an investigation involving the head basketball coach,” the statement read. “While we continue through the formal process, we believe it is prudent to suspend the coach until the investigation is finished.”
Woods is scheduled to appear in court Feb. 9.