Suspended Morehead State coach Sean Woods has been charged with misdemeanor battery stemming from an incident that occurred during the team's game at Evansville last month, Sgt. Patrick McDonald told ESPN on Tuesday night.
Citing court documents, Kentucky television station WTVQ reported earlier Tuesday that two Morehead State players, Malik Maitland and Soufiyane Diakite, have alleged that Woods hit them during and after a nonconference matchup against the Purple Aces.
According to the court documents obtained by WTVQ, Maitland alleges that Woods backhanded him in the chest at halftime of the game in Indiana, and Diakite says the coach shoved him during a timeout as well as in the team's locker room.
The school suspended Woods with pay three days after the game, citing "complaints received." It did not provide additional details.
When asked for a response to Tuesday's charges, Morehead State spokesman Nick Evans referred to the statement the school distributed after it suspended Woods last month.
"Resulting from complaints received, the institution has begun an investigation involving the head basketball coach," athletic director Brian Hutchinson said in the statement. "While we continue through the formal process, we believe it is prudent to suspend the coach until the investigation is finished."
Woods, who played with "The Unforgettables" Kentucky squad that reached the Elite Eight in 1992, was suspended for shoving former player Devon Atkinson in 2012, his first season with the program.
McDonald said misdemeanor battery in Indiana is defined as any alleged assault that results in a "complaint of pain" from an alleged victim. It does not mean anyone was injured, he said.