Delaware State Suspends Its Men's Basketball Coach

Dover, DE --- Delaware State University has suspended head men's basketball coach Tony Sheals indefinitely. DSU Athletic Director Bill Collick made the announcement Thursday following an investigation into an incident involving Sheals and one of his players.Former DSU assistant coach Harry Thayer will serve as interim head coach for the two regular season games remaining on the schedule, and the upcoming Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament.

According to Collick, the University took the action in the wake of an allegation that Sheals, who was in his first season at Delaware State, made physical contact with senior guard Stefan Malliet in the Hornets' lockerroom following the team's 87-73 loss to Hampton on Monday in Dover.

Collick says assistant basketball coach Randy Lee has been reassigned within department of athletics.

Thayer was a Delaware State assistant coach during the 1998-99 season. He was an All-State basketball player at Milford High School (DE) before competing at Wesley College in Dover. Thayer, a 4-H & Youth Development Agent in the DSU Cooperative Extension Center, earned a bachelor's from Delaware State in 1987 and a master's in 1997.

Delaware State is 5-20 overall and 4-12 in the MEAC heading into Saturday's (Feb. 26) contest at Howard. The Hornets will close out the regular season on March 3 at Morgan State. The MEAC Tournament is March 6-11 in Richmond, VA.

Front Page

Newsroom Index