Albany, NY (NEWS10) — A local UAlbany men’s basketball official and community leader spoke to News10 on Saturday, reacting to the suspension of UAlbany head coach Dwayne Killings.
The university announced Saturday that following an investigation, it found that Killings had “inappropriate physical contact” with a player prior to the team’s away game against Eastern Illinois on Nov. 24. Killings was suspended for five games in the 2022-23 season, along with a $25,000 fine. The fine will be donated to a local association.
Amsterdam native Marcus Jackson announced his engagement to UAlbany last week. He tells News10 that he is still determined to play for his hometown team. He added that he spoke with several players from the UAlbany basketball team, as well as an assistant coach. “The vibe that I got from it was really to take a step back and not overreact and you’ll be fine,” Jackson said. He added: “I think the players’ confidence in Coach Killings has never been affected. I think spending so much time with a coach, or even with any human, I think you just learn how genuine people are and I think Coach Killings is definitely that.
On Thursday, a group of local community leaders gathered to show support for the killings. One of these leaders was Marcus Pryor. When asked on Saturday what he would say to someone who might be hesitant to welcome Killings back after this incident, Pryor said: “I think I have the opportunity to understand the context a little bit better, that coupled with the clear record we have of the successful coach, his integrity, it hasn’t been difficult to garner support for him. People rallied around him very quickly.
News10ABC contacted Killings and the university about the matter and received no comment.
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