Ivy League-feeder high school quietly suspends renowned soccer coach for illegal betting scheme...
By ISABEL BALDWIN,
A Pennsylvania high school soccer coach was quietly suspended amid scandal after being caught allegedly gambling with students.
David Zimmerman, a nationally recognized soccer coach at the prestigious Conestoga High School in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, was caught back in January reportedly placing 'prop bets' with students on the school's basketball games.
Zimmerman, who was named 2022 National Boys Soccer Coach of the Year for large public high schools, initially served a brief suspension over the course of a few days last winter following an internal investigation, according to The Inquirer.
The school, which is located in one of the most affluent districts in Pennsylvania, reportedly opened an investigation after learning of the alleged betting through 'secondhand' sources in January, and found that the gambling began last year 'on a limited basis.'
Zimmerman and Conestoga's principal Amy Meisinger were not immediately available for comment when contacted by the Daily Mail.
Prop bets consist of wagers placed on specific occurrences or certain players' statistics during games. It is a form of sports gambling that the NCAA has lobbied the federal government to ban.
Pennsylvania high school soccer coach David Zimmerman (pictured back center) was caught allegedly gambling with student
The prestigious Conestoga High School launched an investigation into the activity in January
It is unclear if any of the Conestoga basketball players were aware that Zimmerman and students were betting on them.
The wagering is said to have been limited to small amounts - as little as $10. The school's investigation reportedly found no evidence of widespread gambling or Venmo payments. Zimmerman is also said to have made no profit from the activity.
However, Zimmerman, who has several state soccer championships to his name and has taught at the school since the mid-1990s, wasn't dismissed from his position.
Instead, the coach apologized to the parents of students involved in the betting, according to the report. He also reportedly served a brief internal suspension from the school for a few days during the winter.
The school, which sends 95 percent of its graduates to college, seemingly attempted to keep the scandal under wraps, making no formal announcement.
As of Sunday, Zimmerman was still listed as Conestoga's boys' soccer coach on the school's official website.
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, a governing body of high school athletics, began to receive anonymous tips about gambling at Conestoga High School.
But the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association informed The Inquirer that it was 'an internal school matter.'
Conestoga, located about 15 miles west of Philadelphia, is considered to be a top-rated public high school with strong academic and athletic programs.
Conestoga, located about 15 miles west of Philadelphia, is considered to be a top-rated school
Last year, more than two dozen students from Conestoga were accepted at Harvard, Yale, and other Ivies.
Meanwhile, it also boasts athletic success. Conestoga won 29 Central Athletic League titles between 2020 and 2024, nine of which were earned by Zimmerman's soccer team.
However, Zimmerman's alleged gambling scandal isn't the only storm the school has had to weather over the past few months
Michelle Mercogliano, a special-ed teacher at the Conestoga High School, was arrested earlier this year after allegedly bringing a student to her parents' home and having sex with him about a dozen times.
The married teacher, 35, was charged in April after the 16-year-old victim's family contacted police. She faces 63 charges including Institutional Sexual Assault and the Corruption of Minors.
She's also accused of providing medical marijuana to the teen, the Chester County District Attorney said.
Mercogliano began a sexual relationship with the boy in February, according to a criminal complaint from the Tredyffrin Township Police Department.
The boy's father provided to police some marijuana packaging he found in his son's closet with Mercogliano's name on the label, according to the affidavit.
Michelle Mercogliano, 35, was charged in April after the 16-year-old boy's family contacted police. She faces 63 charges after allegedly having sex with the boy about 12 times, often after her parents' home
The boy was also said to have been provided with marijuana by Mercogliano around 15 times
'The [victim] disclosed that after school he would walk from Conestoga High School to the... apartment complex where Mercogliano would pick him up in the back parking lot and drive to his home, to her parents' residence, or drive him to the Sunnyside Marijuana Dispensary in Phoenixville,' court documents obtained by ABC News stated.
The investigation began after the victim told his sister of his relationship with Mercogliano and the sibling then informed the boy's parents.
The pair allegedly had sex about 12 times, the victim told police, and often in Mercogliano's parents' home in Wayne, according to the complaint.
Mercogliano was also said to have provided the boy with pot about 15 times.
She allegedly communicated with him through Snapchat 'as to go undetected,' or via text message.
The school's football team made national headlines in 2016 over hazing allegations. A freshman player claimed he was assaulted with a broom handle during what the team called 'No Gay Thursday.' Three players later pleaded guilty to lesser harassment charges.
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