Report: Syracuse WCBB HC Quentin Hillsman's Bullying Played Role in 11 Transfers

The recent slew of Syracuse women's basketball players who've decided to leave the program was reportedly due to inappropriate behavior from head coach Quentin Hillsman. 

Chantel Jennings and Dana O'Neil of The Athletic reported Tuesday that 28 different people connected to the program said Hillsman's behavior, including "unwanted physical contact, threats and bullying, and the program’s generally pernicious culture, pushed many players and staff members to leave."

In April, John Kekis of the Associated Press noted the Orange had 11 players enter the transfer portal following the 2020-21 season.

One former player described to Jennings and O'Neil the type of threatening language Hillsman allegedly used.

"The way he threatened us, like we all knew he would never physically harm us, but he’d always be talking about beating our asses. Like, 'I'll f--k you guys up. I'll f--k you up. It’s gonna be your ass if you f--k this up,'" the player said.

According to Jennings and O'Neil, another player said she "felt violated after Hillsman came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, placing his hands near her pelvic region before brushing it off as a joke."

One team manager said Hillsman pushed a bottle of water away from a player who was "literally gasping" after going through a sprinting exercise known as Big Fives.

Jennings and O'Neil noted that among the nine former Orange players they spoke with, several of them experienced "suicidal thoughts" and "self-harm" as a result of their time with Hillsman.

"Five said they received therapy; two of those women were prescribed antidepressants," Jennings and O'Neil wrote.

The school issued a statement to The Athletic about the allegations against Hillsman:

"“Syracuse athletics remains committed to providing a healthy, academically rigorous, competitive and rewarding environment to all our student-athletes. Any behavior – from our student-athletes, coaches and staff – that contradicts our commitment to these ideals is investigated thoroughly, and if necessary, appropriate action is taken.”"

Former Syracuse guard Tiana Mangakahia discussed the matter, per Lindsay Kramer of Syracuse.com, saying she "never saw" any inappropriate behavior by the coach:

"“I felt really sad for Coach Q and I feel like players who didn’t get what they want are now accusing him of things and making him look bad just because they didn’t get the minutes that they wanted while they were at Syracuse."

"“I know that a lot of the players that spoke in that, because I could tell who it was, didn’t barely get any minutes of court time. I just feel like they did it in spite of not getting what they thought they were going to get out of attending Syracuse. I’m very surprised. The stuff they say in that article I never saw.”"

Per Kekis, Syracuse is expected to return only four players from the 2020-21 squad. Kamilla Cardoso, the reigning ACC Freshman of the Year, and Kiara Lewis, who led the team in scoring (14.0 points per game) last season, are among the players who transferred.

Hillsman recently completed his 15th season as head coach of the Orange women's basketball program. He has led them to eight straight appearances in the NCAA tournament, including a trip to the national title game in 2016.

The 50-year-old's contract with Syracuse runs through the 2023-24 season.