Former Niagara head coach Al Dirschberger was indicted by an Albany, New York grand jury on January 16th and stands accused of third-degree rape and third-degree criminal sexual acts.
Dirschberger had been the Erie County (N.Y.) Commissioner of Social Services before resigning on December 28 following the uncovering of the allegations. Dirschberger had served in that role since 2015.
The allegations against Dirschberger are centered around a trip to Albany, the state capital, in early December. Police say that Dirschberger raped a subordinate employee while both were in Albany to attend a conference.
Dirschberger turned himself in to police on Monday, January 22, and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The winningest coach in Niagara softball history, Dirschberger spent twenty-two years as the program’s head coach before retiring following the 2012 season. Under his leadership, the Purple Eagles earned a berth to the NCAA tournament in 1998, highlighting his tenure. Dirschberger was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference coach of the year twice, in 1997 and 2007.
Following his retirement from Niagara, Dirschberger served as an assistant coach at Canisius College and coached several sports at the high school level over the years. He had returned to Niagara as an assistant coach this season, but was placed on administrative leave following the criminal allegations.
