The community is throwing their support around a well-known student coach for Youngstown State University's football team.


The 19-year-old is recovering following a serious crash in Lawrence County. It was about 11:30 Tuesday morning in Neshannock Township when the head-on collision between a Honda Civic and a garbage truck took place.

The driver of the Civic was19 year-old Daniel Minenok. Minenok was on his way home to New Castle from a YSU football practice.

His older brother, Patrick Minenok who is a senior on the team, was about a half-hour behind him on the same route home.

"I was actually on the detour already when my sister called me and told me what had happened. I just had a gut feeling that it was Daniel. I ran down there and saw the firemen trying to saw him out of the car," said Patrick Minenok.

 Daniel Minenok is now in the hospital with a broken femur, five breaks on his hip, and another surgery scheduled for his knee, among other injuries.

"My mom got to talk to him a little bit and just the first thing he said was he can't believe this is going on," said Patrick Minenok. "He's still kind of falling in and out of sleep, so none of us have really gotten to talk to him yet."

The YSU and New Castle community are rallying around the family with an outpouring of support shown on a Go Fund Me Page.

YSU Head Football Coach Doug Phillips said  Minenok has the respect of the players as he worked towards his goal of becoming a coach although he was unable to play himself after a high school ankle injury.

"It's unfortunate daniel had to face this type of adversity at such a young age, but we know Daniel is a fighter," said Phillips.

"If there's anyone who can thrive in a pretty messed up situation, it's Daniel. Daniel is going to come out on top," said Patrick Minenok.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

You can donate to Daniel's Go-Fund-Me here.