Ole Miss women’s basketball coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin filled an opening in her coaching staff Wednesday with the hire of former Syracuse coach Quentin Hillsman.
Hillsman comes to Ole Miss three years after he resigned from Syracuse as the women’s basketball head coach amid an investigation after 19 individuals spoke to The Athletic in 2021 accusing Hillsman of improper behavior and bullying.
“I am very pleased to be able to hire a coach with the pedigree and experience of Quentin Hillsman,” McPhee-McCuin said in a statement. “He is an excellent teacher of the game and also a strong recruiter at both the national and international levels. I have known Quentin for over 20 years, and I am confident that he will be a tremendous addition to my coaching staff.”
REQUIRED READING: Ole Miss women’s basketball adds Quentin Hillsman, subject of investigation at Syracuse
It’s a move that sparked some shock and curiosity within the college basketball world given Hillsman’s past and why he resigned from Syracuse in 2021 amid that investigation into the program and his behavior.
“As with all new campus hires, the university conducted its standard vetting procedure on Coach Hillsman, including a comprehensive background check. Additionally, our coaching staff has maintained a close relationship with Coach Hillsman for decades and knows firsthand the type of coach and person that he is,” a university spokesperson told the Clarion-Ledger in a statement on why Ole Miss felt comfortable hiring Hillsman given his past.
“Others in the industry have expressed the same sentiment on his high character and productive contributions at past institutions. From Coach Hillsman’s arrival on our campus, it has been evident that he is not only an outstanding coach but a family man that will make a positive impact on our program and community.”
Here’s what you need to know on Hillsman and why he resigned from Syracuse:
Why did Quentin Hillsman resign from Syracuse?
Hillsman resigned in 2021 as the head coach at Syracuse during the middle of an investigation into the program for allegations surrounding Hillsman’s inappropriate behavior that included unwanted physical contact as well as threatening and bullying players.
The Athletic’s Dana O’Neil and Chantel Jennings were the reporters who first reported and investigated these allegations and what was going on in the Syracuse program after speaking with nine anonymous former Syracuse players and 19 others.
The “exodus,” as O’Neil and Jennings called it, of Syracuse players leaving through the transfer portal after the 2018 season were believed to be the first signage of something going on. As noted by O’Neil and Jennings, Syracuse had the highest rate among any Power 5 women’s program from 2018-2021 for players to enter the transfer portal, including nine of the 14 top-100 recruits Hillsman recruited to play for the Orange leaving after two or fewer seasons at Syracuse.
Some of the accusations that O’Neil and Jennings found from talking to those sources included:
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He often threatened the players, sometimes using vulgar language. “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— you guys up. I’ll f— you up. It’s gonna be your ass if you f— this up,’” said one former player. More than 10 people described Hillsman acting in that manner.
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At halftime of one game during the 2019-20 season, Hillsman went around the locker room, standing before every player and saying to each: “I don’t give a f— about you.” Then he flipped a table. Seven people present recalled this incident.
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One 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. Two others witnessed the incident.
Click here for more on the findings from O’Neil and Jennings’ investigation.
Syracuse launched an investigation of their own into the program after The Athletic published their article but have not disclosed the findings of the investigation, which was conduced by O’Melveny & Meyers law firm, to the public according to several reports.
Why did Quentin Hillsman not go to Spain?
After resigning from Syracuse in 2021, Hillsman was hired to be the head coach of the Leganes of the Endesa League, the highest level of women’s professional basketball in Spain.
But due to negative publicity from his hiring due to his situation at Syracuse as well as trouble with his work permit in Spain, he was never officially hired and didn’t go to Spain to coach.
Quentin Hillsman coaching career
Here’s a full breakdown of Hillsman’s coaching career as a head coach and as an assistant:
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St. Mary’s College of Maryland (assistant): 1995-96
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Newport school (head coach): 1999
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Siena (assistant): 1999-2001
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American University (assistant): 2001-02
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Laurinburg Institute (head coach): 2002-03
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The Patterson School (head coach): 2003-04
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Alabama (assistant): 2004-05
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Syracuse: 2005-06 (assistant); 2006-2021 (head coach)
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Ole Miss (assistant): 2024-present
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Why new Ole Miss women’s assistant Quentin Hillsman resigned from Syracuse in 2021
