U.S. Center for SafeSport alters Moon swim coach’s status
A national organization charged with resolving abuse and misconduct reports has changed the status of a veteran West Hills area swim coach who was temporarily suspended last month due to allegations of misconduct.
Jeffrey Berghoff, a former coach with Tiger Aquatics, a nonprofit community aquatics organization and competitive swim club based in Moon Township, was issued a temporary suspension on June 29 by the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
But on July 15, the center’s Centralized Disciplinary Database showed a different status for Berghoff, who also has served as the head swim coach at Moon Area High School.
The Center now has put “temporary restriction(s)” on Berghoff, and the database notes that he has two sanctions — “limitation(s) on participation” and a “no contact directive(s).”
Hilary Nemchik, vice president for external affairs for the U.S. Center for SafeSport, said the organization does not comment on individual cases to protect the integrity of its investigative process.
Berghoff is listed on the database as a Coraopolis resident whose sport affiliation is USA Swimming. USA Swimming is the national governing body for competitive swimming in the United States.
Nemchik said temporary measures, including temporary suspensions and temporary restrictions, may be put in place while an investigation is ongoing.
According to a U.S. Center for SafeSport overview and definitions document, temporary restrictions are imposed or adopted on a case-by-case basis and are only implemented when necessary “and are narrowly tailored to mitigate the specific, potential risks posed – either to a specific individual(s) or to the broader sport community.”
The document notes that the imposition of temporary restrictions is not a finding that misconduct occurred but rather a precautionary measure taken to mitigate potential risks. Those restrictions can be modified or removed as information and evidence are obtained through the investigative process.
As for the sanctions, examples of “limitation(s) on participation” could mean that someone can participate in one context – as an athlete or in an administrative capacity, for example – but prohibited from participating in another context, such as a coach or trainer. It could also require that certain responsibilities be reassigned to other individuals or it could mean a restriction from participating in a certain location, facility or league.
According to that same Center for SafeSport document, a no contact directive(s) is put in place typically when someone is prohibited from communicating in any way or through any medium with another party or parties while an investigation is ongoing to avoid potential conflict, confrontation or further escalation.
Berghoff did not respond to a request for comment on his status change Friday.
Dave McCowin, president of Tiger Aquatics, said he was aware that Berghoff’s status had changed on the Center for SafeSport’s Centralized Disciplinary Database. But McCowin said he’s not yet certain how that change would affect Berghoff’s status with Tiger Aquatics. Berghoff is no longer listed as a coach on the organization’s website and his bio no longer appears there.
Berghoff also has served as the head swim coach at Moon Area High School and, according to the minutes from a May 11 Moon Area School District board of trustees meeting, he was rehired for the 2026-27 school year. District officials said earlier this month that they cannot comment on personnel matters.
According to a previous version of the Tiger Aquatics website, Berghoff has been coaching in the Moon community since 2017 and has more than two decades of coaching experience at the youth, high school and college levels, including a stint with the University of Pittsburgh.
The Center for SafeSport was authorized by Congress in 2017 to resolve abuse and misconduct reports for more than 11 million individuals throughout the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movement. The center is working to help prevent abuse through education and accountability in a bid to end sexual, physical and emotional abuse on behalf of athletes.
The center’s database was designed specifically to inform the public if/when individuals participating in U.S. Olympic and Paralympic sports have either been found to have engaged in, or are alleged to have engaged in, forms of misconduct that present a potential risk to other members of the sport community.
According to the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s website, the center publishes only those decisions “that could pose a potential risk to the broader sport community.”
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