New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Columbia football coach Pete Mangurian resigned after three seasons on Friday, one day after the student newspaper reported players sent a letter to the university president claiming abuse within the program.
Columbia has lost 21 straight games since 2012. After going 3-7 in Mangurian's first season, the Lions finished 0-10 each of the last two seasons.
The student newspaper, The Columbia Daily Spectator, reported Thursday that 25 players submitted a letter to university president Lee C. Bollinger claiming Mangurian had verbally and physically abused them and ordered them to return to the field after sustaining concussions. The letter was later withdrawn, the newspaper said.
"I have accepted Pete Mangurian's resignation because we have all come to the conclusion that it would be in the best interests of Columbia Athletics," Bollinger said. "Under (athletic director) Dianne Murphy, Columbia teams have built a new winning tradition across our men's and women's sports and we expect no less of our football program."
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