WICHITA, Kan. — Gregg Marshall resigned Tuesday as Wichita State men’s basketball coach, nearly three months into an investigation that he physically and verbally abused players.
Marshall, who brought the Shockers back to national relevance in reaching the 2013 Final Four and won the most games in program history during his 13 seasons, reached an agreement with WSU that will pay him $7.75 million over six years, the school announced in a release.
Isaac Brown, WSU’s longest-tenured assistant, will serve as interim coach.
“This was a difficult decision, but one I feel was necessary for my family, the university and, most importantly, the student-athletes,” Marshall said in the release. “I remain grateful for my years spent at Wichita State. I wish to thank the coaches, student-athletes, the university, the community, and all of Shocker Nation for their unending dedication, support and loyalty. I am incredibly proud of this men’s basketball program and all it has achieved over the past 14 years and am confident of its continued success.”
The decision comes eight days before the start of WSU’s 2020-21 season and during an ongoing investigation into allegations made against Marshall by former players that he punched a player, put his hands around the throat of an assistant coach and used demeaning language in personal, cultural and racial insults. According to records obtained by The Wichita Eagle, WSU hired St. Louis-based law firm Tueth Keeney on Aug. 25 to conduct the investigation.
It’s the end of the most successful 13-year run in WSU history, as Marshall won 73% of his games (331-121) and guided the Shockers to the 2011 NIT championship, 2013 Final Four and seven straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament from 2012-18.
“Our student-athletes are our primary concern,” WSU athletic director Darron Boatright said in the release. “While the university acknowledges the success of the basketball program under Coach Marshall, this decision is in the best interest of the university, its student athletes and the WSU community. WSU will continue its pursuit of excellence with the help of its student-athletes, staff and loyal supporters of the basketball program.”
Allegations against Marshall went public in an Oct. 9 report by Stadium when former player Shaquille Morris claimed that Marshall struck him twice during an October 2015 practice and that he saw Marshall choke former assistant coach Kyle Lindsted during a practice from the 2016-17 season. Teammate Ty Taylor confirmed Morris’ story in the Stadium report.
Five other players besides Morris and Taylor from WSU’s 2015-16 team independently told The Eagle that Marshall hit Morris, while eight others from the 2016-17 team told The Eagle that Marshall put his hand around Lindsted’s throat.
After not addressing those specific incidents in his original statement following the Stadium report, Marshall staunchly denied the allegations.
“In response to the allegations put forward in the media, I simply state unequivocally that I have never physically struck a player or colleague,” Marshall previously wrote in an Oct. 13 statement to The Eagle. “Allegations claiming otherwise are false.”
Marshall was allowed to continue coaching the team in preseason practices, but was absent from practices starting Nov. 9. A university spokesperson told The Eagle that “Coach Marshall has taken a few days off for personal reasons” at the time.
Multiple sources confirmed to The Eagle that Marshall’s son, Kellen, who was a graduate assistant on the coaching staff also resigned his position.
The timing comes just nearly a week away from when WSU is scheduled to begin its 2020-21 season on Nov. 25 against Utah State in the opening round of the Crossover Classic in Sioux Falls, S.D.
With so little time before the start of the season, WSU promoted Brown, who has been with WSU since 2014. He was Marshall’s most-experienced assistant coach and was leading practices in Marshall’s absence. Former Shockers were already lobbying for him to get the job when national media reports indicated WSU was expected to part ways with Marshall last Tuesday.
“What the program needs right now is stability,” Boatright said in a release. “Isaac has been here for seven years and has good rapport and relationships with the players and staff. I think he is a natural choice.”
