STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — In the wake of the recent news that shook up the Staten Island sports community on Wednesday, social media’s reaction to Wagner College men’s basketball coach Donald Copeland has been sharply divided.
Copeland, who has led the Seahawks since 2022, has been accused by students of verbally “bullying” players and using extreme behavior during practices.
According to a report from The New York Post, he has been suspended while the school investigates.
Allegations against Copeland include refusing water breaks during practices and berating players, with one former Seahawk claiming the behavior occurred “every single day.”
The accusations against Copeland have garnered national attention, and as such, discourse on social media regarding the news has produced vastly different responses.
On one hand, many applaud the Grymes Hill school for thoroughly investigating the alleged behavior, with the school stating, “Wagner College takes student health and well-being seriously. Upon learning of these allegations, we moved quickly to review them…”
“No bueno. Some college coaches really need to reassess how they operate,” said a user of the social media platform X.
“The things people will do for 5th place in the NEC needs to be studied,” another wrote.
Despite widespread criticism of Copeland’s alleged extreme coaching style, many dismissed the claims as a non-issue, framing them instead as evidence that today’s players and coaches no longer embrace toughness.
“Honestly, this is nothing compared to stories I’ve heard and even witnessed at the high school and college levels. Seems like someone snitched because they didn’t like him or were told they aren’t going to be playing the minutes they had hoped for,” one X user claimed.
“What did he do wrong here? Bobby Knight made his players walk from the airport to campus in the snow after a loss,” said another.
“Truth be told, he’s just trying to make his players better,” someone else wrote.
While the severity of Copeland’s actions remains unconfirmed, the allegations have sparked a broader conversation about what should be considered appropriate — and inappropriate — behavior for coaches toward their players.