Source: Wichita Eagle / Getty
Gregg Marshall, the head coach for Wichita State University’s men’s basketball team, is the target of an internal investigation after allegations surfaced that he punched a former player. Adding to his list of offenses, Marshall also allegedly choked an assistant in a separate incident among other offenses, with the news rocking the college hoops and sports world at large.
Details of the allegation have surfaced across a variety of sports publications, notably Stadium, which obtained exclusive information directly from Shaq Morris, who accuses Marshall, 57, of punching him not once but twice in 2015 during a practice session. An eyewitness account also alleges that Marshall choked assistant coach Kyle Lindsted during the 2016-17 season.
Those accounts mirror that of nearly three dozen others who suffered alleged physical and verbal abuse while working as part of the Witchita State program. Some of that grouping have moved on from the university’s team while others are still currently connected there, all confirming their experiences with Stadium in grand detail.
Among the accusations, it was said that Marshall continually used ethnic and racial slurs towards his players and verbally abused others within the program although the details of what was said are scant at best. The outlet’s revelation of the explosive details of Marshall’s alleged actions sparked Witchita State officials to launch an investigation in September, employing the services of St. Louis, Mo. law firm Tueth Keeney to handle legal matters.
Morris, now 26 and playing abroad for Japan’s Tokyo Hachioji Bee Trains and the lone American player on that squad, appears to be the only person who has shared their identity publicly. Stadium combed over the accounts of 26 players and 10 assistant coaches who either played for or coached with Marshall over a six-month period before going wide with their story.
Marshall’s abrasive style was perhaps glossed over at the Kansas institution due to the fact he has made Witchita State a winning program under his tutelage, reaching the NCAA Men’s Basketball College Tournament seven times consecutively and also reaching the coveted Final Four portion of the bracket in 2013.
With painstaking detail, Morris shared his side of the incident where Marshall punched him after an intense practice session went left when Morris went to block a shot by teammate Zach Brown, who fell hard on his back afterward. Witnessing his player go down with what could be assumed as a hard foul, Marshall allegedly ran over and punched Morris in the face as he was helping Brown to his feet.
“I turned back with my fists ready to punch or swing. I don’t know who did what and I see Marshall standing there. I turned around and started walking out,” Morris said of the moment.
Gregg Marshall has not publicly addressed the incident or related allegations.
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Photo: Getty
