YSU stunned by death of athletic department videographer

By Pete Mollica

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State afternoon practice session was canceled Monday following a tragic incident that involved a member of the Penguins’ football family.

Shawn Coin, who served as the YSU athletic department’s video coordinator, died Monday morning. He was 31-years old.

Coin, who was starting his third year with the athletic department where he helped coordinate the entire video productions efforts, had finished filming the Penguins’ morning practice session and was in his video room when he passed away.

Nothing official has been released by the university, but it was believed that Coin suffered a fatal heart attack.

“It was a tragic loss,” said YSU football coach Jon Heacock. “Shawn was a part of our football family and we’ve lost a member of our family.”

“This is very difficult,” he continued. “Our thoughts and our prayers go out to his wife Jenny and all of his family and her family for their loss.”

Heacock said that he informed the members of the football team at a 2:30 p.m. meeting and at that time canceled the team’s afternoon practice.

“We also brought in some members of the local clergy and some staff counselors for anybody who needed them,” he added.

“A lot of our older players were very close friends with Shawn, while most of our younger players hardly knew him,” Heacock said.

Heacock said that he hasn’t really thought much about when practice sessions would resume.

“I’m not sure just what direction we are going right now,” he said. “Right now we want to take care of our coaches, spend some time with Jenn and try and get through today.”

Coin, who is survived by his wife, Jennifer, was a former assistant football coach and video coordinator at California (Pa.) University and Northern Michigan before he joined the Penguins.

He spent two years at California as video coordinator and offensive assistant and was a video assistant, along with being assistant strength and conditioning coordinator and assistant defensive backs coach for a year at his alma mater, Northern Michigan.

“He was kind of the man behind the scenes guy for us,” Heacock said. “He was always around and always with good things to say. He took an interest in our football team.

“He was part of the day-to-day operations here that made our job so much easier,” he added.

Arrangements had not been completed at this time.

mollica@vindy.com