Florida International University has suspended women’s basketball head coach Marlin Chinn indefinitely as they investigate allegations that he pursued a sexual relationship with one of his players.
FIU team captain Destini Feagin claims that Chinn, a first-year head coach for the 4-23 Panthers, has made numerous sexual advances towards her. Feagin claims that she was suspended four games for resisting the coach’s sexual advances. He told a newspaper the suspension was for a violation of team policy.
Feagin, a 5-foot-10 senior guard, produced for The Miami Herald what she said were multiple inappropriate text messages from the coach to her.
He also made sexual comments about her from the moment he took over the job, she says.
“I noticed he had a sexual attraction for me when he started saying perverted things to me,’’ Feagin told The Herald. “Commenting on my looks, my body, frame, my breasts, my behind. The way I smile. He would go into detail what his sexual thoughts were.
“He didn’t come out and say what his intentions were at first, but he gave me hints,” she said. “He said little things that alerted me. Then, he came out and told me how he felt about me.”
Feagin says she unknowingly committed an NCAA violation with the coach’s help. She says Chinn gave her $600 to pay off a $500 student debt to allow her to register for classes. However, she came away believing he expected sexual favors as a result.
“You will pay me back. In other ways,” he allegedly told her.
The sexual advances didn’t stop there.
She claims that in late January Chinn asked about her personal life. He also allegedly said she would be his girl if he were in school.
“I have sexual fantasies about you,” Feagin claims Chinn said.
She also believes other coaches knew about it after he made a comment about her in front of them and touched her posterior when he gave her a hug in February.
A teammate helped Feagin craft a letter to the NCAA about the allegations.
Feagin and her mother reported the allegations to FIU on Thursday.
