Sheffield United Knew About Coach's Bullying Before Maddy Cusack's Death

An inquest at Chesterfield Coroner's Court has revealed that Sheffield United received warnings about their women's head coach Jonathan Morgan's bullying before midfielder Maddy Cusack died. Cusack was found dead at her home in Horsley, Derbyshire, on 20 September 2023. She was 27.

At the inquest, Cusack's father, David Cusack, said that Morgan's behavior was the main reason his daughter's mental health got worse. Her family's account of events has placed Morgan's conduct at the center of what they believe led to her death, according to The Independent. The coroner's final conclusion has not yet been reported.

The evidence presented paints a troubling picture. Morgan is alleged to have called Cusack a "psycho" and made comments about her weight and her relationship. One of Cusack's teammates and friends sent an email to Sheffield United before her death, describing how Morgan's behavior had hurt multiple players on the team. The Independent reported both of these details from the inquest on 30 June 2026.

BBC News also reported that Cusack was afraid of being mocked and stigmatized at the club in the months before she died. Combined with the email the club received from her teammate, this raises a basic question: what did Sheffield United know, when did they know it, and what did they do about it?

Morgan was fired as Sheffield United Women's head coach after the inquest. The Cusack family said they "welcome" his dismissal, according to The Independent.

What comes next and why it matters

Sports clubs have a legal and ethical responsibility to protect their players from abuse. In English law, this duty is spelled out in health and safety and employment regulations. The timeline revealed at the inquest suggests Sheffield United had a warning about Morgan's behavior before Cusack's death. How the club responded to that warning — whether they investigated, escalated the complaint, or ignored it — will likely be central to the rest of the inquest and any future inquiries or legal cases.

This case arrives at a crucial moment for women's football in England. The sport has grown rapidly and turned professional, but clubs and governing bodies have not always invested enough in systems to protect player welfare. The Football Association has committed to stronger duty-of-care standards in women's football, yet these promises have been tested repeatedly in recent years. Cases like Cusack's put pressure on institutions to prove that their complaint procedures actually work and that players who speak up will be taken seriously.

The inquest is still ongoing. No coroner's verdict has been released yet. The full extent of what Sheffield United did or did not do with the warnings about Morgan remains unknown.