The School District of Lancaster board of directors will vote January 21 to appoint two head coaches to lead prominent athletic programs at McCaskey High School. Former Penn Manor and Lancaster Catholic head coach Todd Mealy will be the new head football coach, and former Division 1 athlete and travel softball coach Samatha Lichtner will be the head softball coach.
The district’s personnel recommendations were announced Friday.
Mealy, who began his coaching career as an assistant at McCaskey, compiled a .673 winning percentage (76-37) in 10 years as head coach at Penn Manor and Lancaster Catholic. He remains Penn Manor’s all-time leader in wins and winning percentage, having led the Comets to 10-win seasons in 2009, 2012, and 2013—the only times in the program’s history that Penn Manor achieved that win total. At Lancaster Catholic, Mealy went 20-3 and led the Crusaders to back-to-back section championships, reaching the District 3 semifinals twice. He was named Lancaster-Lebanon League Coach of the Year three times (2009, 2012, and 2019).
“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. “It won’t happen overnight, but we are 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 in the LL League, District 3, and across the commonwealth.”
In addition to teaching full time at McCaskey High School, Dr. Mealy is an adjunct professor in the History Department at Dickinson College, the Executive Director of the National Institute for Customizing Education, and the author of eleven published books.
“Everywhere we’ve been, we have taken great pride in what we’ve accomplished on the field, in the classroom, and in the community” he added. “We will bring those same values to this program.”
Samantha Lichtner is a 10-year veteran of high-level travel coaching, most recently as head coach of an 18u squad that won 71 games over the past three-plus years. In 2023, her team went 25-15-1 and and finished in the top 25 of 100 teams competing in the Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series, the premier youth softball national championship. She competed collegiately at Mount St. Mary’s University, and has coached 11 players who went on to compete at the NCAA Division 1 level.
“I’m excited to be a part of a program where I have the opportunity to help create a positive culture and build the program from the ground up,” Lichtner said. “McCaskey has a large student-athlete base, and I am energized by the goals and vision that the leadership has for McCaskey Athletics.”
She will begin her tenure this spring.
“The appointments of Coach Lichtner and Dr. Mealy reflect McCaskey’s firm commitment to excellence,” said athletic director Teasia Peña. “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.”
In 2024, McCaskey football went 2-8, while softball finished the season at 6-14.