Fourth-year Wagner coach Donald Copeland is serving a suspension and is under investigation by the school for repeated mistreatment of his players, school athletic director Walt Hameline confirmed to CBS Sports on Wednesday.
The investigation was first made public by a Wednesday report in the New York Post.
“Copeland is being accused of verbally abusing several players and refusing them water breaks during strenuous practices,” the Post reported. “Copeland has not yet been found responsible of the allegations, but multiple complaints were sent to school administrators at the Staten Island-based college that sparked the investigation, sources said.”
The Post’s story cites multiple sources and includes quotes from R.J. Greene, a former Wagner player who entered the transfer portal at the end of last season.
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“It was every single day,” Greene told the Post. “Every day was like a war, on and off the court.”
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.
Wagner athletic director Walt Hameline said the school began its investigation immediately after hearing the abuse claims. He provided the following statement to CBS Sports: “Wagner College takes student health and well-being seriously. 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.”
CBS Sports has also reached out to Copeland for comment but is yet to hear back.
The 41-year-old Copeland took Wagner to the NCAA Tournament in 2024 after winning the NEC automatic bid. All but two players left Wagner after last season, when the Seahawks went 10-16 against Division I competition. Multiple members of Copeland’s staff, including former assistant Kevin Lynch, also left in the spring.
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