Columbia University football coach Pete Mangurian resigns amid abuse allegations

MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS (WABC) -- Brian Thorne knows it hasn't been easy rooting for his football team. The Columbia Lions were winless this season, winless last season and are in the midst of a 21-game losing streak. However, apparently it's been even worse for those playing on the field under head coach Pete Mangurian.

Recently 25 players wrote a letter to the university's president complaining about verbal abuse, and more seriously, they claim Mangurian ignored concussion complaints, and accused players of faking symptoms or calling them "soft" if they sat out.

Mangurian has coached in college and the NFL for 30 years, including a sting as an assistant with the Giants. He submitted his resignation on Friday. In a statement, Columbia University addressed the players' letter, which has since been withdrawn, saying,

"Columbia adheres to a strict medical protocol regarding head injuries for all sports teams, and our investigation has found no evidence to support an allegation of a departure from that protocol with our football players."