In the wake of a championship season that landed the Seahawks in the NCAA Tournament, Wagner College has made a significant investment in its basketball program.
The college signed men’s basketball coach Donald Copeland to a five-year contract, President Jeffrey A. Doggett and Director of Athletics Brendan Fahey announced. It is the first multi-year contract for a head coach in the history of the Wagner College athletic department.
In just his second season at the helm, Copeland led the Seahawks to their first Tournament in 21 years and coached Wagner to its first-ever Tournament win, a 71-68 victory over Howard University in the First Four of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
“As an academic, residential campus, we know athletics plays a significant role in enlivening our community,” said Doggett. “We are excited to build on Wagner’s proud history by making this initial investment in the next chapter of Seahawk basketball. We are all excited to see Coach Copeland leading us to great success.”
“Traveling with our team to March Madness was one of my first impressions of Wagner and seeing our school rally behind our team was an unforgettable experience,” he said. “Coach Copeland has done an outstanding job leading and developing our student-athletes and we are excited for the future of Wagner basketball with him at the helm.”
In March, Wagner became the lowest seed since 1999 to win the NEC Tournament and became the first team ever to win three straight road games en route to an NEC Championship, which culminated in a thrilling, 54-47, victory over #2 Merrimack.
“This is an exciting day for Wagner College and our athletic department,” said Fahey. “Coach Copeland has been an incredible leader for our student-athletes and a great ambassador for our school. Together, I am confident that we can build on last season’s success and carry on the rich tradition of Wagner College basketball for our students, fans, and alumni for years to come.”
This past season, Copeland was named a finalist for the 2023-24 Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year award. The award is presented annually to the top minority head coach in Division I college basketball.
“I’d like to thank President Doggett and Director Fahey for their continued trust in me, my staff, and our program,” Copeland said. “It is an honor to be the head coach at Wagner and we will maintain our pursuit of excellence and toughness on and off the court.”
Copeland, who spent the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach at Big East member Seton Hall, served six years on the Seahawks’ staff prior to becoming the head coach, including four seasons as an assistant coach.
Copeland played an integral role in the Seahawks’ recent success. Over the course of those six seasons with Copeland on staff, Wagner won three Northeast Conference regular season championships, advanced to the NEC Tournament final twice, appeared in the NIT twice, including an upset win over top-seeded St. Bonaventure in 2016, and compiled an NEC league record of 64-44.
In 2021-22, Copeland was part of a Seton Hall team that earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament after compiling a 21-11 record along with an 11-8 mark in Big East play.
The Jersey City native arrived on Grymes Hill prior to the start of the 2015-16 campaign after enjoying a near decade-long professional career that spanned seven countries.
While playing in Puerto Rico, Copeland captured two professional championships, in 2011 and 2015, with the last coming as a member of Leones de Ponce.
Before embarking on his professional career, Copeland was a standout guard at Seton Hall. While a member of the Pirates, the Garden State product helped lead them to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances in his sophomore (2004) and senior (2006) seasons.
Copeland, Wagner agree to new five-year contract
