Seton Hall men’s basketball is bringing a familiar face back to South Orange.
Former SHU point guard Donald Copeland has joined the Pirates as an assistant coach, returning to his alma mater after three seasons as Wagner’s head coach.
Copeland finished his time at Wagner with a 46-45 overall record. His biggest achievement came during the 2023-24 season, when he led the Seahawks to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2003.
The Seahawks defeated Howard in the First Four, earning the program’s first NCAA Tournament win.
Before beginning his coaching career, Copeland spent four seasons playing for the Pirates from 2002-06. He appeared in 108 games during his SHU career, scoring 754 points and dishing out 234 assists.
Copeland also played on two SHU teams that reached the NCAA Tournament, with the Pirates earning bids in 2004 and 2006. His strongest season came during his final year in South Orange, averaging 16.1 points and 4.5 assists per game.
His performance earned him second-team All-BIG EAST honors and recognition from the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association. Before graduating in 2006, Copeland was also named SHU’s Senior Male Athlete of the Year.
This won’t be Copeland’s first time coaching at his alma mater. He previously returned to South Orange for the 2021-22 season, serving as an assistant coach under former Pirates Head Coach Kevin Willard.
During Copeland’s season on staff, the Pirates finished 21-11 and beat No. 4 Michigan and No. 7 Texas. SHU also reached the NCAA Tournament that season—its most recent appearance.
Copeland returns to SHU with three years of Division I head coaching experience. After previously representing the Pirates as both a player and assistant coach, he returns to South Orange to join Head Coach Shaheen Holloway’s staff.
Jaden Highsmith is the head editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at jaden.highsmith@student.shu.edu.
