Seton Hall men’s basketball coach Shaheen Holloway scuffles with Wagner’s Donald Copeland in the  handshake line after the two ex-Pirates guards ‘disagreed over a late foul’

Two college basketball coaches with some shared history had to be separated during a tense handshake line on Saturday after the Seton Hall Pirates beat the Wagner Seahawks, 72-51, in Newark.

The incident took place between Seton Hall head coach Shaheen Holloway and Wagner’s Donald Copeland, both of whom played for the Pirates and served as assistants under Holloway’s predecessor, Kevin Willard.

As reported by the Asbury Park Press, the incident was sparked by a late foul by Wagner’s Tahron Allen. The fact that it occurred with 37 seconds remaining in a 19-point blowout didn’t sit well with Holloway, who apparently was content to run out the clock against the Seahawks.

The two seemed amicable at first when they crossed paths during the post-game handshake line, but after exchanging words, Holloway violently yanked Copeland’s right arm, instigating a near brawl.

Copeland didn’t respond, but did attempt to re-approach the 47-year-old Holloway before the two were separated.

‘I take full responsibility for that,’ Holloway told the Asbury Park Press. ‘I like Donald. Donald is like a little brother to me. I am super disappointed that that happened.

‘As the bigger brother, I take full responsibility for it because it should have never happened.’

Copeland also admitted to feeling ’embarrassed.’

‘I want to apologize,’ he said. ‘I apologized to my team for what went on. 

‘I have a ton of respect for Sha. I always looked up to him coming up, as a smaller guard. He’s a competitor, I’m a competitor, too.

‘That’s probably a little bit of a part of it.’

Seton Hall (4-0) has its first real test in No. 16 USC on Thursday, while Wagner (1-3) hosts NJIT next Saturday.

Holloway was a Pirates guard from 1996 until 2000, averaging 13.7 points and 5.9 assists per game over that time. 

Although Copeland was a less-heralded player at Seton Hall from 2002 until 2006, he did start 30 games as a senior, while averaging 16.1 points and 4.5 assists her game. He went on to play in Europe until 2015.