Coach for benched H.S. football team was accused of abuse at another school

A coach accused in a federal lawsuit of turning a blind eye to hazing by members of the Ursuline High School football team had been accused of misconduct and emotionally abusing players — and even threatening to burn down their homes — while head coach at another Ohio high school

A coach accused in a federal lawsuit of turning a blind eye to hazing by members of the Ursuline High School football team had been accused of misconduct and emotionally abusing players — and even threatening to burn down their homes — while head coach at another Ohio high school.

Timothy McGlynn, the defensive coordinator for Ursuline’s “Fighting Irish” in Youngstown, was placed on administrative leave this month while an investigation takes place into the allegations in the Sept. 2 lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division. The lawsuit alleges that some players were physically abused by some of their fellow teammates while on a football camp trip in June.

But before McGlynn was hired at Ursuline, the lawsuit says that he resigned as head coach at Champion High School in Champion Township amid allegations of misconduct, including threatening players and irregularities with booster funds.

Ursuline High School in Youngstown, Ohio.Google MapsIn October 2020, McGlynn was notified in a letter from Champion schools superintendent John Grabowski that he was being placed on administrative leave after several allegations of misconduct and emotional abuse of players were corroborated during an investigation by the school district. McGlynn was also accused of misusing booster funds, according to the letter. A copy of the letter was obtained through a public records request with the Champion school district.

Students reported that McGlynn routinely verbally abused them, with one student alleging that he threatened to kill someone multiple times and threatened to firebomb that person’s house, according to a summary of the allegations prepared by the Champion school district. The summary also includes one student saying that McGlynn hit him. “And then he goes on to cuss at you as he’s hitting you,” the student said. “It’s degrading,” he added. Other students detail examples of being forced to play through injuries, with one student being ridiculed for being “soft.”