{"id":166545,"date":"2025-09-24T20:09:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T20:09:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/166545\/"},"modified":"2025-09-24T20:09:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T20:09:09","slug":"college-basketball-coach-suspended-for-verbally-abusing-players-and-refusing-to-let-them-have-water-breaks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/166545\/","title":{"rendered":"College basketball coach suspended for ‘verbally abusing players and refusing to let them have water breaks’"},"content":{"rendered":"

By JAKE FENNER, US SPORTS WRITER<\/a> <\/p>\n

Published: 10:46 EDT, 24 September 2025 | Updated: 10:47 EDT, 24 September 2025 <\/p>\n

Wagner College head basketball coach Donald Copeland has been suspended and is being investigated by the school for alleged mistreatment and verbal abuse of players.<\/p>\n

According to the New York Post<\/a>, Copeland verbally berated his own players and denied them access to water breaks during intense practices.<\/p>\n

While Copeland has not been found responsible for these accused actions, multiple complaints were sent to the school – which led to the investigation.<\/p>\n

Sources told the Post that Copeland’s behavior was the main reason why only two players returned to the school from last season – with former players alleging he caused ‘psychological damage’.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to one complaint from a current player, Copeland allowed minimal – if any – water breaks during workouts this summer.<\/p>\n

Per the Post, when players asked for water, Copeland would respond, ‘If you’re thirsty, swallow your spit.’<\/p>\n

\"Wagner <\/p>\n

Wagner coach Donald Copeland has been suspended while the school is investigating multiple claims from current and former players of abusive behavior and alleged mistreatment<\/p>\n

\"Copeland <\/p>\n

Copeland would deny players water and would berate them during practices<\/p>\n

Other allegations include when a player hid a Gatorade bottle in the gym. When Copeland found it, he ordered his players to run, telling them ‘You’re all going to run until the Gatorade is out of his belly.’<\/p>\n

Two players passed out due to dehydration with one of those players going to the hospital, according to the Post.<\/p>\n

A former player said he was called a ‘p***y, a b****, a punk, a vagina’ by Copeland. That same player said when he made mistakes in practice, Copeland would sometimes ‘stand there and point to his private parts’.<\/p>\n

Other players said Copeland would tell them their parents gave birth to a ‘p***y’ and that their poor performances were a reflection of their upbringing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Letters sent to the school’s administration also detailed ‘extreme film session[s], to which we the players refer to [as] a funeral because we know we are about to be mentally bashed and cussed out’.<\/p>\n

Neither Copeland or Wagner athletic director Walt Hameline responded to requests for comment from the Post.<\/p>\n

Copeland, 41, is a Jersey City native who played at St. Anthony High School under Basketball Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley Sr., the father of UConn head coach Dan Hurley.<\/p>\n

After playing his college basketball as a guard at Seton Hall, Copeland played briefly overseas and then returned stateside to coach – beginning as a grad assistant at Wagner.<\/p>\n

\"Copeland <\/p>\n

Copeland led Wagner to the school’s second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024<\/p>\n

He briefly served as an assistant coach at his alma mater before returning to Wagner as its head coach in 2022.<\/p>\n

In three seasons in charge of the Seahawks, Copeland has a record of 46-45 overall and has a record of 21-27 in the Northeast Conference.<\/p>\n

In 2024, Copeland won the NEC title and took Wagner to the March Madness for the second time in school history.<\/p>\n

After winning their First Four matchup against Howard, Wagner promptly lost to one-seed North Carolina in their Round of 64 contest.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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