Sheffield United Warned About Coach's Bullying Before Player's Death

A coroner's inquest has heard that Sheffield United received warnings about their women's team head coach Jonathan Morgan's bullying behaviour before midfielder Maddy Cusack died. Cusack was found dead at her home in Horsley, Derbyshire, on 20 September 2023. She was 27.

During the inquest at Chesterfield Coroner's Court, Cusack's father David told the proceedings that Morgan's conduct was the main cause of his daughter's mental health getting worse, according to The Independent.

What the evidence shows is disturbing. Morgan allegedly called Cusack a "psycho" and made comments about her weight and her relationship. One of Cusack's teammates sent an email to Sheffield United describing how Morgan's behaviour had affected multiple players on the team — this email reached the club before her death. The Independent reported these details as part of its coverage of the inquest.

BBC News also reported that Cusack feared being mocked and stigmatised at the club before she died. That detail, combined with the earlier warning email, raises a direct question: what did Sheffield United know about this conduct, and what did they do about it?

Morgan was later fired from his job as Sheffield United Women's head coach. The Cusack family said they "welcome" his dismissal, per The Independent.

What This Means

Clubs have a legal and moral responsibility to protect their players from abuse by coaches or managers. When someone at a club reports bullying, the club is expected to take it seriously and act. The timeline that came out at the inquest suggests Sheffield United had a clear warning about Morgan's behaviour before Cusack's death. Whether the club treated that warning with the seriousness it deserved — and what they actually did with the information — will likely be central to the ongoing investigation.

Women's football in England has grown rapidly in recent years, but safety systems and player protection haven't always kept up with that growth. Cases like this put pressure on both football clubs and the Football Association — the sport's governing body — to prove that when players report problems, they will be listened to and action will be taken.

The inquest is still ongoing. A final verdict has not yet been reported. The full picture of what Sheffield United knew and what they did with those warnings will become clearer as the investigation continues.