The coach of former Sheffield United player Maddy Cusack called her a "psycho" and engaged in "mind games" with her before her death, an inquest was told. Cusack, 27, was found unresponsive at her home on September 20, 2023, and died the same day.
An inquest at Chesterfield Coroner's Court on Tuesday heard that Jonathan Morgan, who was Sheffield United's women's team manager, made comments concerning Cusack's weight and relationship. Grace Riglar, who played for the team and was in a relationship with Cusack, testified that Cusack was anxious about Morgan joining Sheffield United due to her prior experience working with him at Leicester City.
Riglar stated that Cusack had told her about an incident where Morgan, as manager, called her a "psycho" from the sideline during a game. While Cusack did not outwardly show the effect of such comments, they made her uncomfortable. Riglar added that Morgan's appointment as coach was a significant source of stress for Cusack.
Cusack perceived Morgan's decisions regarding her playing time as personal attacks. She was accustomed to starting every match and felt her role diminished when Morgan began rotating her in and out of the starting lineup. Riglar told the inquest that Cusack viewed these changes as a setback and felt Morgan was intentionally playing mind games by alternating her starting status week to week.