Gregg Marshall’s verbal abuse of players started before his time at WSU, report says
Gregg Marshall’s verbal abuse of players predated his time at Wichita State, according to a report by The Athletic Tuesday.
In the report, seven former men’s basketball players who played for Marshall at Winthrop between 1998-07 allege the coach crossed the line in how he spoke to players.
Marshall, who has coached at Wichita State since 2007, is currently under investigation by Tueth Keeney, a St. Louis-based law firm hired by WSU to look into allegations of verbal and physical abuse by former Shockers. Marshall has vehemently denied some of the allegations, saying he has never struck a player or a colleague and that he has never been demeaning or abusive.
Among the allegations from the Winthrop players in The Athletic’s reporting:
Marshall allegedly referred to his players using a derogatory term for a woman’s vagina. “He’d fix his fingers like an OK sign, but real small,” said Sheldon Bailey, who played under Marshall at Winthrop from 2001-03 before transferring. “And then he’d say, ‘You’re a big, wet, soft, (expletive) gash.”
Marshall ridiculed one player who took prescription medication for his mental health. “Did you take your medication today?” he allegedly screamed at the player after he struggled with a drill in practice. “Are you stupid or just retarded?”
Marshall allegedly screamed at a player who was underperforming that he would “send him back to Africa,” shocking the team. “You’re a white guy, in South Carolina where the Confederate flag is still flying on the statehouse, and you’re telling a proud African man you’re going to send him back to Africa?” one player said.
Marshall gave a statement to The Athletic in response to Tuesday’s allegations.
“As I have stated previously, I am deeply committed to my players and the teams we have built together,” Marshall’s statement read. “I believe unequivocally in their value as athletes, as students, and as people. Any portrayal of me to the contrary is wrong.
“Throughout my career as a coach, I have devoted myself to empowering my players to achieve their greatest potential. That’s the legacy I have built throughout my career — both at Wichita State and at Winthrop University.
“My nine years at Winthrop (1998-2007) saw the Eagles achieve greater success than ever before. Not only did our players win on the court, but our team graduated all but one senior student-athlete during my tenure. I am extremely proud of what we built together at Winthrop and will always reflect fondly on my years there.”
In speaking to The Eagle, a pair of former Winthrop players say Marshall’s penchant for winning games has excused his behavior in the eyes of those in power and has allowed him to become one of the nation’s wealthiest college basketball coaches.
“When schools and athletic departments prioritize money and trips to the NCAA Tournament over student-athlete well-being, it inevitably leads to situations and investigations like the one currently playing out at Wichita State,” wrote Alex English Jr., who played under Marshall at Winthrop from 2001-03. “The fact that these millions are generated by unpaid labor makes this alleged situation all the more upsetting. It is devastating that such little regard is shown to the experiences of these young men.”
“I believe it’s because some people have accepted this as being part of sports culture in America, especially college sports,” Bailey said in a phone interview. “Obviously Gregg Marshall makes a lot of money, so I think a lot of these athletic directors are probably intimidated by the confrontation with Gregg Marshall on top of the price that comes with it.
“If you have money and if you have power like coach Marshall does, then you get a lot of free passes.”
Allegations of racial and ethnic insults
The latest report by The Athletic brought more allegations that Marshall demeans his players with personal, cultural and racial insults.
According to previous reporting by Stadium, Marshall allegedly taunted current player Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler, who is of Native American descent, to “get back on his horse” and made “Indian howling noises” while in practice during the 2018-19 season. In the same report, he allegedly told Jaime Echenique, who is from Colombia, that he would be “a great coffee bean picker” because Echenique struggled to catch the ball.
Multiple former Shockers, including Echenique, have been publicly supportive of Marshall and his coaching tactics. Tyson Waterman, a former player for Marshall at Winthrop, has since joined Marshall’s staff as an assistant coach and is entering his third season as WSU’s top recruiter.
Many players, including Nick Wiggins, who played at WSU from 2012-14, have denied that Marshall is a racist.
“(Marshall) doesn’t have a racist bone in his body,” Wiggins tweeted, before adding that WSU’s 2012-14 teams “never witnessed any racism whatsoever.”
The remarks in the allegations are out of step with the university’s latest “Priorities Report,” where “inclusive excellence” is listed as one of WSU’s top five strategic goals.
“An integral pillar of our strategic plan says all members in the community will feel valued and respected, regardless of ancestry, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, political affiliation, pregnancy race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or status as a veteran. In addition, the University will capitalize on distinctive, unique campus cultures while encouraging strong institutional unity,” the school’s website says.
At a recent WSU Faculty Senate meeting, Chase Billingham, an associate professor in sociology, said Wichita State needs to consider the message it sends when the most recognizable person at the university, Marshall, faces such serious allegations.
“Along with allegations of physically assaulting undergraduate students at our university, the allegations that have been made public by former members of the men’s basketball team include the use of racial epithets and racially-charged language as part of a system of verbal abuse against our undergraduate students,” Billingham said.
He said university leaders should “take into account and think about how the most publicly prominent member of the entire university community can serve as a role model for the rest of the community.”
Another WSU faculty member, Jeff Hayton, associate professor in history, said the administration’s inaction is a “black mark” on the institution, showing that it doesn’t take allegations of physical abuse or the well-being of students seriously.
Interim president Rick Muma has declined to comment on his decision not to suspend Marshall and said there’s no firm timeline for the investigation to be completed. Athletic director Darron Boatright said he is closely monitoring Marshall and the team as it practices.
A secret investigation
Additional details on the timing of the investigation came out through a Kansas Open Records Request. An engagement letter with Tueth Keeney says the university started working with the law firm on Aug. 25, a month before former President Jay Golden resigned.
It’s unclear who ordered the investigation by an outside law firm. The contract is signed by WSU general counsel Stacia Boden, who reports directly to the president.
The contract with Tueth Keeney makes clear that Wichita State leaders will decide whether to impose any potential sanctions on Marshall and what happens with the findings and investigative materials turned up during the investigation — not the law firm.
“Our scope of work will not include determining sanctions if, in fact, it is determined that Coach Marshall engaged in inappropriate contact,” the engagement letter, signed by attorney Ian Cooper, says.
Wichita State leaders have been criticized for not suspending Marshall during the investigation. They have declined to discuss why no decision has been made as more reports and commentary surrounding Marshall’s behavior surface.
It’s also clear the university wanted the investigation to be secret.
According to the terms of the agreement with Tueth Keeney, its existence would be “confidential and privileged.”
Wichita State later acknowledged the investigation after the Athletic and Stadium reported on it and the allegations.
The university appears to be withholding the full scope of the investigation. A large block of text in the section outlining the scope was redacted by WSU.
“You have directed that our Firm’s privileged investigation has the following scope: investigation of allegations involving Wichita State University’s Men’s Basketball Head Coach, Gregg Marshall,” the agreement says. After that, it’s blacked out.
To withhold the information, Boden invoked an exception to the Kansas Open Records Act that allows public agencies to redact portions of “records which are privileged under the rules of evidence, unless the holder of the privilege consents to the disclosure.”
This story was originally published October 20, 2020 at 5:04 PM.
.jpg)