Story: Adam Nelson (@HD_DirtKing)
Wagner head basketball coach Donald Copeland has been suspended by the university as the school investigates allegations that he mistreated his players on multiple occasions.
I teased this situation at on social media and in the Daily Dirt last week – today, reports of the suspension began to surface and have been confirmed by Wagner AD Walt Hameline.
According to a New York Post report, Copeland allegedly used inappropriate language against his players in practice, and in one disturbing alleged incident cited by the Post, mandated his players would run to exhaustion after he found a hidden Gatorade bottle in the gym that one player was drinking from. “Two players passed out due to dehydration,” according to an email obtained by the Post, and one of those two players was brought to a local hospital.
Donald Copeland, 41, led the Seahawks to the 2024 NCAA Tournament after capturing the NEC Tournament Championship. Since then, the program has faced major turnover, with all but two players and several staff members departing after a 10–16 season in 2025.
More on this story as it continues to develop.
