Mancini, a Boardman native and Spartans, YSU-Ohio University wrestling standout, and longtime area wrestling coach, is the lone wrestler in this year’s class, joining fellow Spartans’ all-state grappling great, Greg Cooper (Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame, Class of 2012) as the lone wrestlers ever to be honored by the organization.
Born January 4, 1964, he is a 1982 graduate of Boardman High School where he was a standout wrestler and three-year letterwinner. A three-time district placer and winner, he was the 112 pound state Class AAA runner-up in 1982.
He completed his high school career by posting a most impressive 84-13 (.866 winning percentage) overall mark and was selected to the All-Ohio Dual Meet Team from all divisions, completing his junior and senior seasons with a perfect 46-0 mark.
In the summer of 1982, he finished 14th out of 95 wrestlers at the USWF (United States Wrestling Federation) Junior National Championships.Upon graduation, he earned a scholarship to Youngstown State University where he was a three-year starter and two-year team captain.
In 1984, he was the Division I East Regional runner-up and an alternate selection to the NCAA Tournament, capping a 29-6 season that saw him defeat multiple All-Americans during the campaign. He placed third (out of 52 wrestlers) at the prestigious West Virginia Open which included wins over Slippery Rock, West Virginia, Clemson and Clarion.
U.S. Air Force Gives Mannozzi Chance To Pursue Olympic Racewalking Dream(Opens in a new browser tab)
He also was West Liberty State University tournament champion. In 1985 and after YSU dropped their wrestling program, he transferred to tradition-rich Ohio University where he competed his final collegiate season for the Bobcats at 126 pounds and under the watchful eye of legendary head coach, Harry Houska.
A starter at that weight his senior season, he finished his career as a four-year letterwinner while posting a 68-32-1 overall mark, going 62-28-1 for the Penguins.He is just one of four wrestlers in Youngstown State University history to reach the NCAA Division 1 Eastern Regional finals.
Curbstone Coaches HOF Spotlight: Tony Matisi, Basketball Honoree
Upon graduation he spent several seasons as an assistant coach at Boardman, Columbiana and Alliance high schools, actively helping the Eastern Ohio Wrestling League in various roles including serving as commissioner of the league while helping with wrestling clinics in and around the tri-Valley area.
In 1995, he became a licensed OHSAA (Ohio High School Athletic Association) wrestling official where he worked for six seasons, including officiating the EOWL, Josh Hephner, Richmond Heights and Jackson-Milton Invitational tournaments, along with earning sectional and district tournament assignments.
He assumed the head coaching duties at his alma mater, Boardman High School in 2001 and retired as its head coach in 2022. He coached 29 state qualifiers and 19 state placers, including a state champion, 44 district placers, eight champions, 32 sectional champions, 75 first team all-conference (EOWL, Federal League and All-American Conference) picks and three Ohio Coaches Association Academic All-Ohio wrestlers.
He has coached multiple freestyle-Greco Roman Clubs in the area including EOWL, Team Lennox, Ohio Dragons and for the last 12 years the Green Machine Wrestling Club. He is a bronze level certified coach and is director for the Green Machine Wrestling Club. Over a stellar career coaching freestyle and Greco Roman, he has coached 326 state placers of which 61 went on to become state champions.
He is a former coach for Team Ohio in both USA and AAU and has coached national teams that have finished ninth, sixth, fifth, third and twice finished as national champions, also serving as coach for the USA Wrestling Junior National Freestyle team and AAU Team Ohio.
He was inducted in the Boardman Boosters Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Eastern Ohio Wrestling League in 2006, earning induction into the Top Gun Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011. He graduated from YSU with his BS in business administration degree, also going on to earn his MBA in business management from YSU.
His sons, Nick and Vince, and nephew Anthony, were also standout wrestlers and all-state performers with Nick becoming only the second Spartan in school history to earn NCAA All-American honors while in college, that coming during his days as a wrestler for the University of Mount Union Purple Raiders.
He is married to the former Pam Reighard and they are the proud parents of two sons, Nick and Vince. He resides in Boardman.
THE MANCINI FILE…
USA Ohio National Team Coach
2016 USA OH Junior National Freestyle and Greco Roman Coach (Tulsa, OK) National Champs
2015 USA OH Junior National Freestyle and Greco Roman Coach (Tulsa, ,OK) 9th
2014 AAU Team Ohio Freestyle Coach Junior Olympic Games (Des Moines, Iowa) National Champs
2013 AAU Team Ohio Freestyle Coach Junior Olympic Games (Detroit MI)
2013 USA Ohio Cadet National Team Freestyle and Greco Roman Coach (Fargo ND)
2013 USA Ohio Cadet National Duals Freestyle Team Coach (Daytona Beach FL)
2012 AAU Team Ohio Freestyle Coach Junior Olympic Games (Houston TX)
2012 AAU Scholastic Freestyle Duals National Tournament GMWC (Orlando FL)
2012 USA Ohio Cadet National Duals Freestyle Team Coach (Daytona Beach FL)
2012 AAU Team Ohio Freestyle Coach Junior Olympic Games (New Orleans, LA)
2011 AAU Scholastic Freestyle Duals National Tournament GMWC (Orlando FL)
2011 USA Ohio Cadet National Duals Freestyle Team Coach (Daytona Beach FL) 2010 USA Ohio Cadet National Duals Freestyle Team Coach (Rochester MN) 9th
