Mikey McGinley went out to watch the Villanova Men's Basketball Team defeat Oklahoma Saturday night. Hours later, the Drexel student and former star athlete at Malvern Prep was found dead at a friend’s home in Northern Liberties.
The 22-year old's death was accidental and caused by "drug intoxication," Jeff Moran with the Philadelphia medical examiner's office confirmed Tuesday afternoon.
McGinley's death left friends and family devastated, according to Jay Schiller who coached McGinley in a stellar water polo career at Malvern Prep.
“Just a fun kid, the kind you would love to have on your team, love to have as a friend,” Schiller said. "Almost everyone I have spoken to over the last 24 hours or so are crushed by the news of his passing but are quick to smile with a memory of him as a student or as an athlete."
McGinley was small, muscular, lean, Schiller remembers. Tenacious.
“He was a bulldog once he got in the water,” Schiller said. "He holds our single season school records for blocked shots (28 — an average of one per game) and steals (116 or about 4 per game). These key defensive statistics for a young man who was 5' 7" and weighed about 130 pounds speak to his tenacity as a player. His peers who have gone on to play water polo at the collegiate level are 6' 3" to 6' 6" and easily weigh 200+ pounds. However, he also scored 81 goals his senior season so he was certainly not a one dimensional player."
Schiller recounted what he’d pieced together about McGinley’s weekend:
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McGinley, who was studying at Drexel’s LeBow College of Business, went out with friends Saturday night to watch the Villanova game. He slept over at a friend’s apartment with some other folks. In the morning, the others went out for breakfast. Mikey stayed in. He was still sleeping. Snoring.
When friends returned from breakfast, McGinley wasn’t breathing.
Friends shared their grief and memories of McGinley on Facebook: [[374618251, C]] [[374618301, C]] [[374617981, C]]
Drexel sent LeBow students a notice of McGinley’s passing “at an off-campus apartment in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia” and offered counseling services to students and condolences to McGinley’s family and friends.
A funeral Mass is being held for relatives and friends Saturday, April 9 at Mother of Divine Providence Church, 333 Allendale Rd., King of Prussia, Pa. at 11:00 am. Viewings for Mikey McGinely are at the church Friday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday morning from 9:00 to 10:50 a.m.
In McGinley's obituary, in lieu of flowers, the family encouraged people to make memorial contributions in Mikey’s memory to Malvern Prep Water Polo c/o Malvern Prep Development Dept., 418 S. Warren Ave., Malvern, Pa. 29355-2707 or online via the Malvern Prep Friar Club.
