Syracuse women’s basketball coach Quentin Hillsman has resigned amid investigation into alleged conduct

Coach Q

Syracuse women’s basketball coach Quentin Hillsman during a game between Syracuse and Boston College at the Carrier Dome Feb 25, 2021. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com

Syracuse University women’s basketball coach Quentin Hillsman has resigned, according to a statement published on the school’s website.

The statement said that Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack has accepted the resignation and will announce interim leadership in the coming days.

Hillsman was accused of inappropriate conduct and bullying in an article by The Athletic, and the school has hired a law firm to conduct an investigation into the accusations. The statement said that the investigation is continuing and that the school will address the issues brought up once it has concluded.

Hillsman, 50, had been attending workouts by players as recently as 10 days ago, according to photos published on the team’s social media account.

His last announced contract extension announced by the school ran through 2024. He was the sixth-highest paid employee at SU in 2019, the last year that information is publicly available, making $860,348 in total compensation.

A school spokesperson did not provide an immediate answer when asked if the school had any financial responsibility to Hillsman moving forward.

The Syracuse women’s basketball program has experienced one of the highest transfer rates in the country over the past few years, capped by 12 players transferring from the program after last season. That group included Kamilla Cardoso, the highest-ranked recruit in program history, who transferred to South Carolina after a promising freshman season.

Hillsman and Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack initially downplayed concern about the volume of players leaving the program, pointing at the increase of transfers across the country. Wildhack called it “a sign of the times” and said he “supported the values” within the women’s basketball program.

The school’s outside investigation occurred only after the article was published by The Athletic, which cited interviews with nine former players and 19 others familiar with the program. The article, using primarily anonymous sources, detailed accusations of bullying and other alleged behavior by the head coach that made athletes uncomfortable.

Other former players, including Tiana Mangakahia, disputed the allegations made against Hillsman. In a tweet, Mangakahia claimed she never personally saw any conduct she felt was inappropriate.

Hillsman was promoted from assistant coach to head coach at Syracuse 15 years ago and elevated a women’s program that had traditionally not matched the success of the men’s side. He is the winningest head coach in women’s program’s history, leading the Orange to its only national title game appearance in 2016, and compiled an overall record of 319-169 as head coach.

Syracuse has made the NCAA Tournament in four of the last five seasons, although it has lost on the first weekend each time despite strong recruiting classes and high expectations. Hillsman’s teams qualified for nine NCAA Tournaments and four WNITs. Before Hillsman took over, Syracuse had just one winning season in the previous 16 years, a stretch that included three head coaches.

Here is the school’s full statement, attributed to Wildhack:

The University has accepted Coach Quentin Hillsman’s resignation. Coach Hillsman and I agreed that parting ways is in the best interest of the university, the program and our student-athletes. We wish him and his family all the best. Interim leadership for the women’s basketball program will be announced in the coming days.

As previously announced, the University retained an external law firm to conduct a review of the program. That review is ongoing, and the Department of Athletics will address issues that are identified at the conclusion of the review.

We remain focused on providing the best experience possible – one that prioritizes the well-being of all student-athletes and positions them for success in competition, in the classroom, in their communities and in life beyond Syracuse University.

Contact Chris Carlson anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1639

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.