Edwards Kemedjio
Dwayne Killings' first season will end in scandal and his second will begin with punishment. The investigation into the first-year head coach of the Great Danes reached its conclusion less than a week after the news was broken to the public.
It was announced over the weekend that Killings will be suspended five games and fined 25 thousand dollars for what was deemed 'inappropriate contact with a player. The fine will be donated to a non-profit and Killings will also undergo mandatory training on the school's reporting policies.
The incident occurred before a road game on November 24th. According to a statement released by UAlbany, the contact happened during the pre-game hype circle and no notice was made at the time. After receiving a complaint on February 27th an investigation was immediately initiated by the University.
Killings was placed on "alternative assignment" during the investigation following the conclusion of the Great Danes basketball season.
The investigation was not made public until Jeff Goodman, a well-established college basketball reporter and analyst, broke the story on Twitter on March 28th. It was concluded Saturday that "this was an isolated incident" and that Killings would be suspended five games to start next season.
"I realize the physical contact I had with the student-athlete during the pre-game hype circle was inappropriate, and not communicating it with the UAlbany administration was a mistake," wrote Killings in a letter to the community. "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."
Following a 13-18 record in its first season under Killings, the mens basketball program is looking to return to its winning ways in the American East. They will however begin the 2022-23 campaign without their head coach as he will look to regain the trust of the UAlbany community.