Cornell High School Football Coach Ed Dawson Dies During Friday Night Game

Cornell High School head football coach Ed Dawson died Friday after falling ill during the second quarter of a game against Rochester, prompting the contest to be called off with Cornell leading 16-6.

According to Cornell athletic director Bill Sacco, Dawson told an assistant coach he wasn’t feeling well and sat down on the bench before his condition worsened and he lay down on the turf. “Next thing you know, he wasn’t moving,” Sacco told TribLive.

An EMT on site attempted CPR before Dawson was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“Cornell will grieve for a long time,” Sacco said. “We lost a great guy. I am not sure how we will get back to where we need to be. I guess we’ll see what happens.”

Cornell School District Superintendent Dr. Aaron Thomas issued a statement calling the loss devastating for the Coraopolis school community.

“This is an extremely difficult situation. To say Coach Dawson was an integral part of Cornell School District would be an understatement. It is hard to put into words what Coach Dawson means to Cornell, and we are all heartbroken, crushed, and in shock,” Thomas said.

Thomas added, “Our thoughts and prayers are with Coach Dawson and his family. We have difficult days ahead, and we will lean on each other to get through them the best we can,” closing his statement with, “We love you, Coach Dawson.”

Coaches from rival Allegheny County-area programs also remembered Dawson. Donnie Militzer, coach at Our Lady of Sacred Heart, described him as a “welcoming guy … with a big personality,” adding that his death “just crushed me.” Fort Cherry coach Tanner Garry called Dawson “a mentor, a leader,” saying he “exemplified what a coach should be, on and off the field. He was a great friend and a great leader.”

Dawson had led the Cornell program since 2011 after previously serving as an assistant coach at both Cornell and Quaker Valley. The team entered Friday’s game 3-5 overall and 1-4 in the Big 7 Conference, still in contention for a playoff spot.