STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Wagner College has officially announced the appointment of Dwan McMillan as the next head coach of the Wagner men's basketball program.

McMillan took over as interim head coach on October 28, 2025, after spending the 2024–25 season as an assistant coach with the Seahawks.

"Dwan has demonstrated steady leadership, integrity, and a clear commitment to our student-athletes during this transition," said college President Jeffrey Doggett. "He understands what makes Wagner special and is well-positioned to lead this program forward with purpose and pride."

This past season, McMillan guided the Seahawks to an NEC Tournament appearance, highlighted by a 70–60 road victory over Central Connecticut State in the quarterfinal round. The win marked just the eighth time a No. 7 seed defeated a No. 2 seed in NEC Tournament history. McMillan also played a key role in the development of All-NEC Second Team guard Nick Jones.

Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and Interim Athletic Director Walt Hameline added:

"Throughout his time in this role, Dwan has earned the trust of our players, staff, and broader Wagner community. We are confident in his ability to build on our recent success and continue to develop young men who excel both on the court and in the classroom."

A native of Brooklyn, New York, McMillan becomes the 20th head coach in program history.

"I am honored to serve as head coach at Wagner College," said McMillan. "This program has a strong foundation, and I am committed to supporting our student-athletes, strengthening our culture, and competing at the highest level. I look forward to building on what has been established and leading this team into its next chapter."

Prior to returning to Wagner, McMillan spent two seasons at Fordham University (2022–24), where he served as video coordinator in his first year before being elevated to director of player development and recruiting coordinator in his second. During the 2022–23 campaign, he helped guide the Rams to a 25–8 overall record and a second-place finish in the Atlantic 10 standings (12–6), marking one of the best seasons in program history.

McMillan began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Mercyhurst University (2012–14) before serving as a graduate manager at Wagner during the 2014–15 season under coach Bashir Mason. He also coached on the AAU circuit with New Heights.

As a student-athlete, McMillan competed at Hofstra University for two seasons after transferring from Indian Hills Community College in Iowa, graduating in 2012. In his first year at Hofstra, he helped lead the Pride to 21 wins, including a program-record 14 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) victories. Hofstra's second-place CAA finish that season earned the program a berth in the 2011 College Basketball Invitational (CBI). As a senior in 2011–12, McMillan ranked second in the CAA in assists and earned CAA All-Academic First Team honors.

McMillan succeeds Donald Copeland, who served with distinction over the past decade as both an assistant coach and head coach. Copeland led the Seahawks to a winning record, the first NCAA Tournament victory in program history, and consistent academic success among student-athletes.

"As I leave Wagner, I look forward to my next coaching opportunity," said Copeland. "I coached at Wagner for 10 years as an assistant coach and head coach. I value the strong relationships I have with so many of my Wagner players and other members of the Wagner community. I am proud of the success that the Wagner's men's basketball program achieved while I was the head coach — a winning record, the first NCAA Tournament win in school history, and consistently high grade-point averages and academic achievement by our players. I wish the best for Wagner."

"Coach Copeland's contributions have added to the foundation of our program," Hameline said. "Coach McMillan will build upon a decades-long tradition of winning and student-athlete development."