Ohio police investigate after parent of player punches high school football coach

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — Reports said police are investigating after a football coach was punched Friday night in the locker room of Cardinal Mooney High School by the parent of a player.

Police were called to the 2545 Erie St. school about 10:30 p.m., where a coach told police he had taken a player out of the team’s earlier 20-6 loss at Warren G. Harding and the coach and the player “had some words in reference to that.”

The coach and several other coaches were in an office in the locker room at the high school when the player’s father came in and asked who was giving his son a “hard time.” When the coach said it was him, he was sucker punched by the player’s father, reports said.

The coach said he fell into a desk and may have injured his ribs, reports said. Reports said a bruise was beginning to form on his face and the coach also had blood on his lip. The coach declined treatment by paramedics and said he would drive himself to a hospital for further examination, reports said.

Several witnesses said the coach was punched and thrown into a desk by the player’s father, reports said. The coach ended up on the floor with the player’s father over him, and the father continued to hit him, reports said.

The witnesses intervened then and the player’s father left, reports said. Reports said the player was there at the time, and he also was “physically involved.”

Chief of Detectives Capt. Jason Simon said detectives are investigating.

Dennis Biviano, a spokesman for the Diocese of Youngstown, said the diocese is aware of the incident but had no comment because of the ongoing investigation.

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