Wendell Doolittle "Manny" Mansfield (March 14, 1899 – December 28, 1984) was an American coach who was the head football coach at Bates College and Springfield College.
Early life
A native of New Haven, Connecticut, Mansfield lettered in football, basketball, baseball, swimming, and track at New Haven High School. He then attended the Springfield YMCA College (now Springfield College), where he played football and basketball, spent a year on the swim team, was a student instructor in multiple subjects, was an American Red Cross examiner, and managed the student council. He was also a scoutmaster for three years and managed Camp Anaming in Wheeling, West Virginia and Camp Sequassen in New Haven.[1]
Coaching
In 1925, Mansfield was named athletic director and football, basketball, baseball coach at Winchester High School in Winchester, Massachusetts.[1] He took a year's sabbatical during the 1931–32 school year to earn his master's degree from New York University.[2] As head football coach, Mansfield had a .780 winning percentage and won three Mystic Valley League championships before transferring to the Middlesex League. His basketball teams won three Middlesex League titles and his baseball teams won 53% of its games.[3][4]
In 1937, Mansfield returned to Springfield College as an assistant football coach.[4] He was the backfield coach and chief scout under Paul Stagg until 1939, when he became the head football coach at Bates College.[3] In 1940, he became the school's baseball and basketball coach as well. In 1941, he returned to Springfield College as head football coach.[5] In 1942, he succeeded the retiring Edward J. Hickox as Springfield's head basketball coach.[6]
From 1945 to 1962, Mansfield was the athletic director at the Pomfret School in Pomfret, Connecticut. He also coached the school's football and basketball teams.[7]
Head coaching record
College football
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bates Bobcats (Maine Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1939–1940) | |||||||||
| 1939 | Bates | 4–3 | |||||||
| 1940 | Bates | 3–4 | |||||||
| Bates: | 7–7 | ||||||||
| Springfield Gymnasts (Independent) (1941–1942) | |||||||||
| 1941 | Springfield | 0–7–1 | |||||||
| 1942 | Springfield | 1–7 | |||||||
| Springfield: | 1–14–1 | ||||||||
| Total: | 8–21–1 | ||||||||
References
- ^ a b Woodlock, Albert (June 20, 1925). "New Haven Man New Winchester Coach". The Boston Globe.
- ^ "Mansfield Returns to Winchester High". The Boston Globe. September 15, 1932.
- ^ a b "Wendell D. Mansfield New Bates Football Coach: Was Assistant At Springfield". Lewiston Evening Journal. June 1, 1939. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
- ^ a b "Coach Mansfield Resigns". The Winchester Star. July 30, 1937. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
- ^ "Bates Loses Head Coach: Wendell Mansfield Goes to Springfield". The Boston Globe. October 19, 1942.
- ^ "Mansfield Named Basketball Coach At Springfield". The Lewiston Daily Sun. October 19, 1942. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
- ^ Singelais, Neil (June 2, 1974). "More's the pity these aces won't be seen in tourney...". The Boston Globe.
- ^ "Team Record Year by Year". Bates College. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ "Football All-Time Results". Springfield College. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
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