Wagner College head men’s basketball coach Donald Copeland has announced the addition of five new staff members.

Corey Fisher, Dwan McMillan, and Kyle Smyth join the staff as assistant coaches. Tim Rodriguez joins as the Director of Operations, while Kenneth Jones joins the staff as the Director of Player Development.

“We’re very excited to welcome our new coaches to our program,” Copeland commented. “Their knowledge of the game, familiarity with the Tri-State area, and unique basketball backgrounds will give us a diverse staff that sets us up for success this season and beyond.”

A former standout guard at Villanova and Bronx native, Fisher arrives on Grymes Hill after one year on the Wildcats’ staff as a Student-Athlete Development Assistant.

Fisher helped Nova advance to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 2008 and to the NCAA Final Four in 2009. He was selected BIG EAST Sixth Man of the Year as a sophomore before earning First Team All-Philadelphia Big Five and third team All-BIG EAST in 2009. A year later he was chosen second team All-BIG EAST before earning his Villanova degree in 2011. In four seasons, he scored 1,652 points (12.1 ppg) and 487 assists.

Fisher played professional basketball for over a decade, as his career spanned across Turkey, Spain, Russia, China, Croatia, Israel and other nations.

A former graduate manager under Bashir Mason at Wagner from 2013-15, McMillan re-joins Wagner’s staff after three years at Fordham, where he was elevated to the position of Director of Player Development and Recruiting Coordinator in the spring of 2023. 

In 2022-23, McMillan helped Fordham to one of its best seasons in program history, as the Rams went 25-8 and tied for second in the final Atlantic 10 regular season standings with a 12-6 effort, the program’s best-ever finish in the conference. His other coaching stops include positions at New Heights Youth, Inc., New York City Parks Department at St. John’s Recreation Center in Brooklyn, and head coach Nazareth High School in Brooklyn.

McMillan played two seasons at Hofstra after transferring from nationally renowned Indian River Community College. In his first year in Hempstead, he helped the Pride to 21 wins, which included a school-record 14 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) victories. Additionally, Hofstra’s second place CAA finish was the best in school history and helped propel the team to a the 2011 College Basketball Invitational (CBI). As a senior in 2011-2012, he was second in the CAA in assists, earning CAA All-Academic First Team honors.

Smyth joins the Seahawks after spending a decade at Big East Member Seton Hall in various roles. Most recently, Smyth was elevated to Director of Basketball Operations under head coach Kevin Willard and alongside coach Copeland, where he coordinated all the day-to-day aspects of the program managed the scheduling of practices, served as academic liaison and coordinated community service initiatives.

Smyth helped the Pirates to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2016-19 and the 2016 BIG EAST Championship title.

Prior to his promotion, Smyth spent two seasons as the coordinator of basketball operations, assisting in the development of practice plans and gameday coordination.

Smyth, a native of River Edge, N.J., was recruited to Iona College by Willard where he played three years before transferring to Seton Hall for his final collegiate season. The 6-foot-4 sharpshooter started 92 of 129 appearances, scoring 930 points and hitting 210 three-pointers over his collegiate career.

A 2012 graduate of Iona College, Smyth holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing.

Jones arrives on Grymes Hill after a standout collegiate and professional basketball career. In 2023-24, Jones played professionally for KK Gostiv AR in North Macedonia, leading the league in assists while averaging eight points per contest.

A five-year player and team captain at Loyola (MD), Jones scored 1,091 points and ranks second all-time with 139 games played, fourth in threes (199), fifth in assists (413), and eighth in steals (162).

Jones averaged a career-high 11.6 points per game in his final season in 2022-23 after leading the Patriot League with 4.6 assists per game as a senior, which ranked 58th nationally.

Jones holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.

Rodriguez comes to Wagner after serving one year at the NBA as a Production Trainee and Replay Operator, supporting officiating and broadcast teams in making informed decisions and maintaining the flow of the game.

Rodriguez was a four-year student manager for the Seton Hall men’s basketball team, assisting with basketball operations on a daily basis and was part of the Pirates’ NCAA Tournament run in 2022 alongside coach Copeland.

Additionally, Rodriguez was an intern for Seton Hall’s Pirate Blue Athletic Fund, where he played an integral role in planning and executing networking events, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable
experience for donors and the athletic department team, resulting in increased donations and strengthened relationships.

The New Jersey native holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Sport Management and will pursue his Master’s Degree while at Wagner.

https://wagnerathletics.com/news/2024/9/5/mens-basketball-copeland-announces-mens-basketball-staff-changes.aspx