Meet Mark
With nearly 100 years of history, Nebraska wrestling is one of the most storied programs in the collegiate wrestling ranks. Head Coach Mark Manning has taken the Huskers to new heights in his tenure and has established himself as one of the top wrestling coaches in the nation.

The NU record book is a testament to Manning’s accomplishments in Lincoln. In his nine years at the helm, he has coached 27 of Nebraska’s 86 All-Americans. He has led the Huskers to five top-eight finishes at the NCAA Championships, compared to just eight for the 14 NU coaches before him. He is the winningest coach in Husker history with a dual-winning percentage of .733 and a record of 126-45-3 at NU. He is the reigning back-to-back Big 12 Coach of the Year after guiding Nebraska consecutive fourth-place finishes at the NCAA Championships the last two seasons, including nine All-Americans and a national champion. He also guided Nebraska to its first Big 12 wrestling title ever in 2009.

Records go onto paper and into books and get tucked away. More important to Manning is the fact that he has helped numerous young men grow into upstanding adults by teaching them the correct principles of life. Regarded as one of the nation’s top recruiters, Manning does not always land the top recruit, but he usually finds the correct wrestler for his program. He has a keen eye for finding the athletes with the right work ethic and dedication that he can develop. His recruiting and coaching abilities have allowed him to find success in a short amount of time at both programs he has led.

Manning’s coaching philosophy focuses on developing wrestlers to reach their potential. A wrestler who brings a positive attitude and work ethic to the room can use goal setting and responsibility to develop into an upstanding citizen that is committed to excellence. Manning works daily with the team on every detail in and out of practice, while keeping in mind the best long-term interests of his student-athletes. Known for his fiery nature on the edge of the mat, Manning instills in his wrestlers a sense of determination and pride through his actions and demeanor. His guidance teaches his athletes to become winners in life, which translates into success in the classroom, on the mat and in their lives beyond wrestling. Manning works to instill life-long values in his wrestlers and it shows.

In addition to their success on the mat, Husker wrestlers under Manning have earned 31 Academic All-Big 12 selections, including current student-athlete Craig Brester, who is a three-time Academic All-Big 12 first-team honoree. Former NU wrestlers have also gone on to be successful in owning their own businesses, coaching at the high school level or even becoming the CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Manning’s coaching philosophy is one that he began during his competitive days, developed during his time as an assistant coach and continues to modify during his time as head coach at Nebraska.

Manning’s Mark at NU
Manning began teaching his methods immediately when he was hired at Nebraska in May of 2000. His efforts showed dividends when he led Nebraska to back-to-back eighth-place team finishes at the NCAA Championships in 2001 and 2002. Four Huskers (Todd Beckerman, Bryan Snyder, Ati Conner and Brad Vering) claimed All-America honors in Manning’s first year coaching the Huskers in 2000-01, as NU finished with an 11-6 dual record. Jason Powell and Snyder also gave Manning his first two Big 12 Conference champions that year.

During the 2001-02 season, Manning led the Huskers to their third consecutive third-place finish at the Big 12 Championships. Justin Ruiz and Powell earned their first All-America accolade under Manning, while Snyder became Nebraska’s first four-time All-American with his second-place finish at 157 pounds.

Nebraska claimed a 16-7 dual record in 2002-03, as Manning guided NU to seven victories over ranked opponents, including a 20-17 victory over fifth-ranked Illinois at the Virginia Duals. At the 2003 NCAA Championships, Manning led a young lineup that included two juniors, five sophomores and three redshirt freshmen to a 13th-place showing. The finish marked the eighth time in the previous nine seasons that NU had claimed a spot in the top 15 in the nation.

The 2003-04 Huskers and Manning posted one of the best wrestling seasons ever at NU with a 19-3 overall record, tying the second-highest win total in NU history. The Huskers posted two team titles during the season, winning the prestigious Las Vegas Invitational behind individual titles from Powell, Travis Shufelt and Travis Pascoe and winning the Virginia Duals with a 25-13 defeat of Lehigh in the finals. Manning directed the Huskers to second at the Big 12 Championships, while qualifying eight wrestlers for the NCAA Tournament, where NU earned a fifth-place finish. Manning coached his first national champion at Nebraska, as Powell claimed the title at 125 pounds with a 17-2 technical fall in the finals.

The Huskers' success continued in 2004-05, with Nebraska winning 19 duals for the second straight year. NU’s 19-2-1 dual record was the second-best mark in school history. The Huskers started the campaign with eight straight dual wins, and ended the season by winning 12 of the last 13 duals. Nebraska posted eight wins over ranked foes, including a 16-15 upset of No. 2 Iowa State to end the dual season.

Manning’s 2005-06 campaign featured a relatively inexperienced squad, but the Huskers earned a solid 12-5 dual record and a third-place finish at the National Duals. NU claimed third at the Big 12 Championships and two Huskers went on to finish as All-Americans.

Manning’s legacy continued to grow in 2006-07, as he watched his second Husker claim a national title. Paul Donahoe earned the crown at 125 pounds to lead Nebraska to a 10-7-1 dual record.

The 2007-08 Husker campaign was one of the best ever under Manning. NU finished second at the Big 12 Championships with three individual champions and claimed fourth at the NCAA Championships with five Huskers finishing as All-Americans.

Manning continued that success into the 2008-09 season, leading NU to another fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships with four All-Americans and a national champion. He also helped the Huskers claim their first ever Big 12 wrestling title.

The Road to Lincoln
Manning showed his ability to develop a top-notch program was universal, as he led a turnaround in the tradition-rich Northern Iowa program in his first head coaching position. Manning coached three seasons for the Panthers from 1997 to 2000 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Under Manning, UNI compiled a 23-24-2 dual record and improved its mark in each of his seasons. His rebuilding effort with the Panthers included strong showings at the NCAA Championships. Northern Iowa tied for 30th in Manning’s first year, but improved to a 17th-place showing in 1998 and added an 11th-place finish at the 2000 NCAA Tournament, which was the school’s best showing in seven seasons.

Individually, several UNI wrestlers excelled on the national stage under Manning. In each of his last two seasons, the Panthers had a pair of All-Americans, including Tony Davis. A two-time NCAA finalist, Davis was the national champion at 149 pounds in 2000 and finished second in 1999.

Manning returned the Northern Iowa program to national prominence by attracting some of the nation’s top wrestling talent. His first Panther recruiting class was ranked second in the nation, while his second class was tabbed as the top class in the nation in 2000.

Before his appointment as the head coach at UNI, Manning had extensive experience as an assistant coach, including ties to the Big 12 Conference. Manning spent four seasons on Jack Spates’ staff at Oklahoma from 1993 to 1997 before accepting Northern Iowa’s head position. Manning helped guide the Sooners to three top-10 team finishes at the NCAA Championships during his tenure, including a seventh-place showing at the 1997 national tournament. He assisted in coaching 14 OU wrestlers to All-America accolades, and five Sooners to the NCAA finals. John Kading also claimed the 1996 190-pound title under him. Manning aided in the recruitment of three top-five national recruiting classes while in Norman.

Manning began his coaching career as an assistant at North Carolina from 1985 to 1993. While pursuing his master’s degree in sports administration, Manning assisted Coach Bill Lam in guiding 15 Tar Heel wrestlers to All-America honors, including four NCAA finalists and a pair of national champions. UNC posted top-10 NCAA finishes in 1986, 1987 and 1993 with Manning on staff, and captured four Atlantic Coast Conference titles. He also helped attract the nation’s top recruiting class to Chapel Hill, N.C., in the spring of 1990.

In addition to his extensive collegiate coaching experience, Manning has been selected numerous times to coach the United States in international competition. He has coached on two U.S. Olympic teams as an assistant in 1996 and 2000, while also being named the head coach at U.S. Olympic Festivals in 1991, 1993 and 1995. Manning was chosen to head the U.S. freestyle team at the 2001 FILA World Championships and been an assistant on the U.S. delegation to the FILA World Championships eight times. He has also been active at the FILA Junior level, serving as the head coach twice, and most recently traveling to the 2008 FILA Junior World Championships in Turkey as an assistant coach. Manning got to coach a Husker at the event, as 149-pounder Jordan Burroughs finished 10th.

Molding Manning
Manning had plenty of experience to build his coaching philosophies on, as he was one of the top wrestlers in the nation during his competitive career. Manning wrestled collegiately at Nebraska for one year, before transfering to the University of Nebraska-Omaha. After redshirting a season, Manning went on to become a two-time NCAA Division II national champion and three-time All-American under Coach Mike Denney. Manning posted a 121-23 record for the Mavericks, while capturing titles at 150 pounds in 1983 and 1985. Manning helped UNO earn a third-place team finish in 1983 and runner-up honors in 1985. While competing for the Mavericks, he was the leader of UNO’s chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes for four years. Manning was inducted into the NCAA Division II Hall of Fame for his accomplishments as a wrestler and coach in 1999.

Manning’s competitive career also extended beyond the collegiate ranks. He was a member of the U.S. freestyle team from 1986 to 1989. He won a silver medal at the 1989 Pan American Games.

The Vermillion, S.D., native received his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Nebraska-Omaha in 1985, with a specialization in exercise science. Manning was the recipient of an NCAA postgraduate scholarship following his graduation from UNO and earned his master’s degree in sports administration from North Carolina in 1989.

Manning and his wife, Carrie, were married in August of 2006. Mark has three sons, Matthew, who attends the University of North Carolina, Connor and Ryan.