Badgers Coach Resigns After University Confirms He Used Racial Epithet In Presence of Student Athletes

A University of Wisconsin-Madison men’s basketball coach resigned Thursday after the university confirmed he used a racial slur in front of players while telling a story about his time working in the NBA. It wasn’t directed at any specific players, the university said.

The university learned of the incident Sunday, it said in a statement. Strength and conditioning coach Erik Helland was placed on administrative leave Monday and didn’t travel with the team for its game against the Minnesota Gophers Wednesday night, according to the university.

Helland, who was in his seventh season with the Badgers before he resigned, was promoted to the athletic department’s director of strength and conditioning in 2015. Before joining the Badgers, he spent 25 seasons on the strength and conditioning staff of the Chicago Bulls.

No student athletes have alleged that Helland directed the epithet toward a specific player, the university said. That includes redshirt sophomore Kobe King, who announced last week his plans to leave the team and transfer from Wisconsin. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, King thanked Helland, among others, in an Instagram post announcing his departure from the team. King has since deactivated his Instagram account.

The Wisconsin State Journal reported last week that King has been frustrated with Wisconsin’s basketball program since he was a true freshman.