George Mans
Encyclopedia
George W. Mans is a former American football
player and coach and politician. He was the captain of the 1961 Michigan Wolverines football team
, an assistant football coach at the University of Michigan
from 1966 to 1973, and the head coach of the Eastern Michigan Eagles football
team from 1974 to 1975. Mans later went into politics, serving as the mayor of Trenton, Michigan
and a member of the Michigan House of Representatives. He is currently the economic development director for the city of Flat Rock, Michigan
.
. He attended Trenton High School
where he won All-State honors in football. While in high school, Mans also won letters in basketball, tennis, track, and wrestling.
In 1958, Mans enrolled at the University of Michigan
, where he played at the right end position for the Michigan Wolverines football
program from 1959 to 1961. He was captain of the 1961 team
that compiled a 6–3 record. Mans was 6 in 4 in (1.93 m), and weighed 212 pounds (96.2 kg) in his senior year at Michigan. After the 1961 season, Mans played for the North All-Star team in the North-South Shrine Game.
Mans graduated from Michigan in 1962 with a bachelor's degree in history. In June 1962, Mans signed with the St. Louis Cardinals
of the NFL
, but he did not play professionally.
football team. In July 1964, Mans was hired by the athletic director at Michigan Technological University
in Houghton, Michigan
to serve as the school's head wrestling coach, assistant director of intramural athletics, and assistant football coach. In 1966, he accepted an assistant coaching position at the University of Michigan where he remained for eight years from 1966 to 1973. Mans was one of two members of Bump Elliott
's coaching staff to continue to serve under Bo Schembechler
when he became coach in 1969. Mans later recalled that Schembechler brought a sharply different attitude to the program when he took over the reins: "He definitely brought a different philosophy to Michigan. He had that Ohio State background and said that in order to compete in the Big 10, we had to get tougher (with) practices, off-season conditioning and coaching."
In February 1974, Mans was hired as the head football coach at Eastern Michigan University
, where he remained for the 1974 and 1975 seasons. In his first season as head coach, Mans' team started the season with only one win in the first six games, but the team finished strong, going 3–1–1 in the final five games. In May 1976, Mans announced his resignation as Eastern Michigan's coach in what the Associated Press
described as a "surprise move." According to one newspaper report, Mans resigned "when it became apparent that EMU would place a greater emphasis on basketball, hiring former Detroit Pistons
Coach Ray Scott
." Mans compiled an 8–12–1 record in two seasons as the head football coach at Eastern Michigan.
reported on its front page that Mans had the worst attendance record of any state lawmaker, having missed six of every 10 votes in the Michigan House over the past year. Mans told the News that he had been "torn" on some issues and could not decide how to cast his vote.
Mans continued to serve in the Michigan House until 2002 when term limits prevented him from running for another term. He ran an unsuccessful race for a seat in the Michigan State Senate in 2002, losing to Republican Bruce Patterson
by a margin of 52,444 votes to 39,338.
As of 2005, Mans was the City Administrator of Southgate, Michigan
. Since at least 2006, Mans has worked in various positions in the municipal government of Flat Rock, Michigan
, including positions as City Administrator, acting City Clerk and most recently economic development director.
Mans has also served as the chairman of the board of directors for the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Alliance and has been active in efforts to develop the 400 acres (1.6 km²) Humbug Marsh in Gibraltar, Michigan
into a tourist destination.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach and politician. He was the captain of the 1961 Michigan Wolverines football team
1961 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1961 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1961 college football season. The team's head coach was Bump Elliott...
, an assistant football coach at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
from 1966 to 1973, and the head coach of the Eastern Michigan Eagles football
Eastern Michigan Eagles football
The Eastern Michigan Eagles are a college football program at Eastern Michigan University. They compete in Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mid-American Conference...
team from 1974 to 1975. Mans later went into politics, serving as the mayor of Trenton, Michigan
Trenton, Michigan
Trenton is a small city in Wayne County in the southeast portion of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 18,853...
and a member of the Michigan House of Representatives. He is currently the economic development director for the city of Flat Rock, Michigan
Flat Rock, Michigan
- Racial makeup :As of the census of 2000, there were 8,488 people, 3,181 households, and 2,306 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,266.9 per square mile . There were 3,291 housing units at an average density of 491.2 per square mile...
.
Athlete
Mans was born in Detroit and raised in Trenton, MichiganTrenton, Michigan
Trenton is a small city in Wayne County in the southeast portion of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 18,853...
. He attended Trenton High School
Trenton High School (Michigan)
Trenton High School is a public high school in Trenton, Michigan, one of four schools in the Trenton Public School District. The school serves the city of Trenton and is a magnet school for special education students, specifically for those with hearing disabilities, from across...
where he won All-State honors in football. While in high school, Mans also won letters in basketball, tennis, track, and wrestling.
In 1958, Mans enrolled at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, where he played at the right end position for the Michigan Wolverines football
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
program from 1959 to 1961. He was captain of the 1961 team
1961 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1961 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1961 college football season. The team's head coach was Bump Elliott...
that compiled a 6–3 record. Mans was 6 in 4 in (1.93 m), and weighed 212 pounds (96.2 kg) in his senior year at Michigan. After the 1961 season, Mans played for the North All-Star team in the North-South Shrine Game.
Mans graduated from Michigan in 1962 with a bachelor's degree in history. In June 1962, Mans signed with the St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, but he did not play professionally.
Coach
In 1963, Mans began a career as a college football coach, accepting a position as the ends coach for the Eastern Michigan UniversityEastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
football team. In July 1964, Mans was hired by the athletic director at Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University is a public research university located in Houghton, Michigan, United States. Its main campus sits on on a bluff overlooking Portage Lake...
in Houghton, Michigan
Houghton, Michigan
Houghton is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and largest city in the Copper Country on the Keweenaw Peninsula. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,708. It is the county seat of Houghton County...
to serve as the school's head wrestling coach, assistant director of intramural athletics, and assistant football coach. In 1966, he accepted an assistant coaching position at the University of Michigan where he remained for eight years from 1966 to 1973. Mans was one of two members of Bump Elliott
Bump Elliott
Chalmers W. "Bump" Elliott is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played halfback at Purdue University and the University of Michigan...
's coaching staff to continue to serve under Bo Schembechler
Bo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
when he became coach in 1969. Mans later recalled that Schembechler brought a sharply different attitude to the program when he took over the reins: "He definitely brought a different philosophy to Michigan. He had that Ohio State background and said that in order to compete in the Big 10, we had to get tougher (with) practices, off-season conditioning and coaching."
In February 1974, Mans was hired as the head football coach at Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
, where he remained for the 1974 and 1975 seasons. In his first season as head coach, Mans' team started the season with only one win in the first six games, but the team finished strong, going 3–1–1 in the final five games. In May 1976, Mans announced his resignation as Eastern Michigan's coach in what the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
described as a "surprise move." According to one newspaper report, Mans resigned "when it became apparent that EMU would place a greater emphasis on basketball, hiring former Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
Coach Ray Scott
Ray Scott (basketball)
John Raymond Scott is a retired American professional basketball player and former head coach of the Detroit Pistons...
." Mans compiled an 8–12–1 record in two seasons as the head football coach at Eastern Michigan.
Politics
After retiring from coaching, Mans entered politics in his home town of Trenton, Michigan. He was a member of the Trenton School Board of Education from 1976 to 1983 and the mayor of Trenton from 1983 to 1989. In 1996, Mans was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives as a Democrat representing the 23rd District. In 1999, Mans drew negative publicity when The Detroit NewsThe Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
reported on its front page that Mans had the worst attendance record of any state lawmaker, having missed six of every 10 votes in the Michigan House over the past year. Mans told the News that he had been "torn" on some issues and could not decide how to cast his vote.
Mans continued to serve in the Michigan House until 2002 when term limits prevented him from running for another term. He ran an unsuccessful race for a seat in the Michigan State Senate in 2002, losing to Republican Bruce Patterson
Bruce Patterson (Michigan politician)
Bruce Patterson is a Republican member of the Michigan Senate, representing the 7th district since 2003. His district covers parts of Wayne County....
by a margin of 52,444 votes to 39,338.
As of 2005, Mans was the City Administrator of Southgate, Michigan
Southgate, Michigan
Southgate is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 30,047 at the 2010 census.Southgate was the last city to incorporate from the former Ecorse Township, gaining city status in October 1958...
. Since at least 2006, Mans has worked in various positions in the municipal government of Flat Rock, Michigan
Flat Rock, Michigan
- Racial makeup :As of the census of 2000, there were 8,488 people, 3,181 households, and 2,306 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,266.9 per square mile . There were 3,291 housing units at an average density of 491.2 per square mile...
, including positions as City Administrator, acting City Clerk and most recently economic development director.
Mans has also served as the chairman of the board of directors for the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Alliance and has been active in efforts to develop the 400 acres (1.6 km²) Humbug Marsh in Gibraltar, Michigan
Gibraltar, Michigan
Gibraltar is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,656 at the 2010 census. It is located on the Detroit River directly south of, and adjacent to, Trenton.-Geography:...
into a tourist destination.