Wagner Just Made Dwan McMillan's Interim Tag Official, and the Turnaround Started Long Before Today
Dwan McMillan is the head coach at Wagner now. For real this time. After spending the 2025-26 season steering the ship as interim coach following Donald Copeland's suspension, Wagner pulled the trigger Monday and removed the interim tag, locking McMillan in as the permanent leader of the men's basketball program on Staten Island.
From Assistant to Head Coach in One Season
McMillan, 36, took over when Copeland was suspended amid player complaints about abusive behavior in practices. That's a tough spot to inherit. The team stumbled early, starting 1-6 and then hitting a brutal seven-game losing streak in conference play. But instead of spiraling completely, McMillan steadied the ship. Wagner finished the season 14-17 overall and 8-10 in the Northeast Conference. Not flashy, but solid enough for the front office to believe in continuity.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at KalshiBefore his year in the interim role, McMillan was an assistant coach at Wagner starting in 2024. He came to the job after spending 2022 through 2024 as the recruiting coordinator at Fordham, so the guy knows how to identify talent and build a program from the ground up.
Wagner's Coaching Legacy Goes Deep
This is a program that knows talent when it sees it. Wagner has been a coaching stop for UConn's Dan Hurley, who ran the program from 2010-12, and P.J. Carlesimo, who coached there from 1976-82 before eventually making his way to the NBA. McMillan now has a chance to add his own chapter to that history.
The permanent hire sends a message: stability is coming, and McMillan is the guy to build it. After navigating a messy situation last season, he earned his shot.
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