Middletown High School (Ohio) football coach Lance Engleka resigned after his second season, alleging death threats were made against him after his teams lost a combined 18 straight games. Engleka wrote a letter to the principal on his resignation that alleged death threats were being made against him and his staff. The resignation was made on a Saturday.
Engleka, who is also the dean of students at Middletown, wrote that "winning and losing at the high school level should not be a life-threatening situation," and said that his family and staff had endured verbal abuse, online torment and attacks from parents. Marlon Styles, the superintendent, said that he was shocked by the accusations, as the district takes measures to ensure that all employees feel safe.
Death threats and the like aren't necessarily unexpected in the sporting world. Professional athletes get them after big blunders on social media, and even college players aren't immune to the threats after botching a big play. None of that makes them acceptable, but the impersonal nature of such large fanbases makes them make sense. For this to happen at the high school level, where there is such a community feel, isn't the norm by any means.
Middletown has a decorated history of athletes. Cris Carter, Todd Bell, Jerry Lucas and Kyle Schwarber all came from the school, so naturally people expect a certain degree of success. However, if these allegations are true, it would be a troubling road for them to go down, and it may deter future coaches from wanting to deal with the drama.