UAlbany Men’s Basketball Head Coach Fined & Suspended

The University of Albany will not fire men’s basketball coach Dwayne Killings, who will instead be suspended for five games next season and fined $25,000, following an internal investigation into “inappropriate physical contact” with a member of the team.

The decision from the University came over the weekend, according to a report from WAMC.org.

UAlbany says it received a complaint against Killings on Feb. 27 and launched an investigation that included “temporarily placing Killings on an alternative assignment to protect the integrity and confidentiality of the inquiry.”

According to Saturday’s statement, the investigation showed there was inappropriate physical contact between Killings and a player during a pre-game hype circle before a road game on Nov. 24, WAMC.org reported. UAlbany did not specify the nature of the contact and said it was an isolated incident. But the incident was not reported to the administration.

Killings’ suspension will be served during the 2022-23 season, and the $25,000 that was fined will go to a local non-profit selected by UAlbany, WAMC.org reported. The school added that Killings will be subject to mandatory training on reporting policies.

Killings released a letter to the college president along with UAlbany’s statement, which says in part:

“My players have often heard me say that I love them, I’ve invested so much of myself in them, which has yielded rewards for all of us both on and off the court. On November 24, 2021, I neglected to represent that, and I would like to apologize to you, the student-athlete, his family, the UAlbany community, the Capital Region community, our student-athletes, my staff, and all those who I humbly represent. I realize that the physical contact I had with the student-athlete during the pre-game hype circle was inappropriate, and not communicating it to the UAlbany administration was a mistake. Neither action will be repeated, and the pursuit of success within my program is of paramount importance.”

Killings took over a year ago when the Great Danes parted ways with Will Brown after 20 years. It is his first head coaching job. He led UAlbany to a 13-18 finish in his first season in the America East.

After news of the probe broke, local civil rights leaders spoke Thursday in Albany in support of the Amherst, Mass. native, saying he went above and beyond in reaching out and bridging the gap between college and community, WAMC.org reported.