A coroner's inquest into the death of former Sheffield United women's player Maddy Cusack heard Tuesday that her coach had called her a "psycho" during a match and was believed to be playing mind games with her through team selection decisions.
Cusack, 27, was found unconscious by her father at the family home in Horsley, Derbyshire, on September 20, 2023, and died the same day. The inquest is being held at Chesterfield Coroner's Court, according to BBC Sport.
Grace Riglar, a teammate who was also in a relationship with Cusack, gave evidence at the hearing. She said Cusack had already been anxious about the arrival of coach Jonathan Morgan before he joined Sheffield United, based on her earlier experience working with him at Leicester City.
Riglar described one specific incident from that earlier period. "I think she said that they played a game against a team while Jonathan was the manager. She had done something on the pitch and Jonathan called her a psycho from the sideline. I don't think she let anyone know those types of comments affected her, but they did and they made her uncomfortable."
Riglar told the inquest that Morgan's arrival at Sheffield United was a significant source of stress for Cusack. She described how Cusack went from being a regular starter to being rotated in and out of the lineup and how Cusack interpreted that shift as deliberate. "She just felt those little things were intentional," Riglar said.
The inquest also heard that Morgan made a comment about Cusack's weight. Riglar said Cusack changed her eating and exercise habits following that comment, cutting out carbohydrates, skipping breakfast, and running extra sessions after training. Riglar noted that Cusack "was one of the fittest players on the team anyway."
Riglar also told the court that Morgan had addressed the squad in his first meeting at the club and told players they would need to inform him if anyone on the team was in a relationship with a teammate. She said Morgan referred to her as "Mrs Cusack" in front of other players, which Cusack found uncomfortable. "We wanted to keep our relationship very professional. The football side and relationship side were very separate," Riglar said.
By the start of the new season, Riglar told the coroner, Cusack had become "paranoid." She said Cusack "didn't really have anyone she could speak to without it getting back to Jonathan."
The inquest is continuing.
