McCaskey set to tab familiar face in L-L League circles as next head football coach

McCaskey is primed to hire its new head football coach, and he’s a very familiar face in Lancaster-Lebanon League gridiron circles.

The School District of Lancaster on Friday announced that Todd Mealy, the former Penn Manor and Lancaster Catholic coach, has been recommended for its vacant football coaching position, and that the school board will vote on his appointment on Tuesday night.

Mealy, who has a doctorate in American Studies and has had 11 books published, is a social studies teacher at McCaskey. Should he gain school board approval, Mealy would succeed Ben Thompson, who guided the Red Tornado the last four seasons, with a 7-33 record, including 2-8 in 2024.

Mealy previously served as an assistant coach at McCaskey for nine years on Scott Feldman’s staff. It was his first coaching gig.

“I can’t fully express how grateful my family and the coaching staff are to return to coaching at the place where it all began,” Mealy said in a release. “It won’t happen overnight, but we’re confident that as long as the students and their families commit, it won’t be long before McCaskey football becomes one of the most competitive and respected teams in the L-L League, District 3 and across the commonwealth.”

Mealy’s teams had great success in his previous two head-coaching stops.

He guided Penn Manor from 2007-14, compiling a 56-35 record. That included a 1-9 finish in his first season. Penn Manor went 55-26 after that, with seven straight trips to the District 3 playoffs as he helped turn around what had been a struggling program.

Mealy was named L-L League Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2012 for his efforts at Penn Manor.

After taking time away from football to earn his doctorate, Mealy returned to the coaching ranks at Lancaster Catholic, where he led the Crusaders to a 20-3 record in 2018 and 2019. He stepped down at Catholic to concentrate on his professional career.

In addition to his teaching job at McCaskey, Mealy is an adjunct professor in the history department at Dickinson College, and he’s the executive director of the National Institute for Customizing Education. Mealy has a bachelor’s from Millersville University, a master’s from Penn State and he’s studied at Oxford University in England.

Mealy and wife, Melissa, have two children. He’s a Bishop McDevitt grad who helped the Crusaders win the state football championship in 1995. He was an All-State linebacker in 1996.

McCaskey football hasn't been to the postseason since 2012 and hasn't captured an L-L League section championship since 2003.

The School District of Lancaster also announced that former Division I athlete and travel coach Samantha Lichtner is the candidate for McCaskey’s vacant softball coaching job. She’ll also look to gain school board approval on Tuesday night.

“The appointments of Coach Lichtner and Dr. Mealy reflect McCaskey’s firm commitment to excellence,” athletic director Teasia Pena said in a release. “Their expertise and passion for coaching embody how much we value our student athletes, and our drive to build a winning tradition across our sports programs.”