Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School Board honored a long time former cross country and track coach who passed away recently.
Dick Mann coached at Heights High for 36 years and led the team to a state championship in 1982.
A 1950 Heights High graduate himself, he played baseball, basketball, football and track — racing undefeated his senior year in the 200-yard dash and winning the National AAU 400-yard dash — then attended Case Western Reserve University before serving as a 2nd lieutenant in the United State Air Force in the Korean War.
During his career at Heights High, the school’s record was 359-39-2 and the team won 12 district championships. He was named the Lake Erie League Coach of the Year 21 times and was instrumental in beginning the women’s track and field program.
He also was named the Ohio Coach of the Year in 1982 and the Ohio Career Coach of the Year in 1997.
Mann passed away at age 80 Dec. 31, 2012.
“Coach Mann was known and loved and will be remembered as a coach that gave everything he had for the players that were fortunate enough to be members of his teams,” the district wrote on its website.
