Pennsylvania High School Football Coach Dies After Mid-Game Medical Emergency

Cornell High School football coach Ed Dawson died Friday night after suffering a medical emergency during a game at Rochester High School in Rochester, Pennsylvania. The call to first responders indicated a cardiac arrest.

Dr. Aaron Thomas, Cornell School District superintendent, stated that Dawson was taken to a local hospital and subsequently passed away. "It is hard to put into words what Coach Dawson means to Cornell and we are all heartbroken, crushed, and in shock," Thomas said in a statement. "We will work to ensure our students and staff have the resources they need and right now our thoughts and prayers are with coach Dawson and his family."

According to Cornell athletic director Bill Sacco, Dawson informed an assistant coach he was not feeling well during the second quarter and subsequently lay down on the bench. "Next thing you know, he wasn’t moving," Sacco told Trib Live. Medical responders attempted CPR for several minutes before transporting him to the hospital. The game concluded with Cornell leading 16-6.

Sacco noted that decisions about the team's future steps would be made after discussions with various stakeholders. "Cornell will grieve for a long time. We lost a great guy," he added.

Dawson began coaching at Cornell High School, located in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, in 2011. During his tenure, he led the team to its first conference title and an outright conference championship. He compiled a record of 49-54 with the program.

Michael Dixon, mayor of Coraopolis, memorialized Dawson on Facebook, stating, "The wins mattered. The young men he shaped mattered more. Coach Dawson looked for the positive in every game and in every kid, and he taught them to sweat the details and never quit. Generations of Cornell and Nazareth Prep players grew into better men because he believed in them before they believed in themselves."