John Mang of Austintown is in charge of assigning officials for high school and junior high athletic contests in baseball, basketball, football, softball and volleyball in the tricounty area.
AUSTINTOWN — It’s official. For the past 50 years, John Mang has been a household name to every baseball coach, basketball coach (boys and girls), football coach, softball coach and volleyball coach in Trumbull and Mahoning counties, and for very good reason.
He’s the guy in charge of assigning officials for high school and junior high athletic contests in those sports.
Not only do all those coaches know Mang quite well, so do all the athletic directors, principals, administrators and, of course, the officials themselves. All told, Mang estimates he has made about 200,000 assignments in his celebrated career. He has assigned officials for 43 schools in three counties (some in Columbiana), in six different leagues and independents.
“I do it because I love it,” Mang said. “The task can be overwhelming, but I enjoy the challenge.”
Mang, 74, an Austintown resident, graduated from Chaney High School in 1965. He was on the football team, but laughs at being only a “tackling dummy.” After attending Youngstown College for two years, Mang joined the Army for two years and served as a platoon sergeant. He then went to Youngstown Business College and received an associate’s degree in 1971.
Mang’s love of sports led him to become a certified official one year after high school graduation. He received his license in football, basketball and baseball (and later softball). He stayed on the field for 50 years, until retiring from officiating in 2016.
A humble man who hates talking about himself, Mang admits that he is proud of receiving a 50-year service award from the Ohio High School Athletic Association. He is more proud of all the men and women he has helped along the way.
Currently, about 800 officials work for Mang in all the sports he assigns, and he knows just about all of them.
“I might even know where about 600 of them work in their day jobs,” Mang laughed. “I’m nosy by nature. I try to stay mentally sharp by knowing the people who work for me.”
Mang married the former Cynthia Hackett in 1981, and the couple has five children: Laura, Jacqueline, Katie, John Jr. and Stacie, as well as 12 grandchildren.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. John Jr. is a baseball umpire in the NCAA’s highest division, and Stacie is an accomplished volleyball referee in her 11th season working for her father.
“My dad is respected by everyone,” Stacie said. “I’m so proud of him, not just because he’s my dad, but because I know that we are all better officials because of his leadership. He is such a great role model, and we all strive to live up to his example.”
In 2009, Mang was inducted into the OHSAA and local Curbstone Coaches Association Halls of Fame. These honors were well-deserved, according to longtime officials who have worked with Mang through the years, including Greg Patoray, who is in his 36th year as an official in three different sports.
“John changed the officiating landscape around here by implementing policies, mechanics, procedures and rule interpretations,” Patoray said. “More than anyone else in this Valley, John is the reason that we, by far, are the best group of sports officials in the state of Ohio.”
Mang also has served as commissioner of three high school leagues: Federal League, Tri-County League and Mahoning Valley Conference. His leadership abilities have expanded beyond officiating and have not gone unnoticed.
Pat Parry has been a high school football referee for 30 years and serves as president of the Trumbull County Football Officials Association. “Many years ago each league had its own assignor,” Parry said, “but one by one, they all came under John’s umbrella because of his outstanding leadership skills.”
Tanisha Franklin coached girls basketball for 22 seasons at East High before becoming the Golden Bears’ athletic director for the past six years. She has seen Mang from both the coaching and administrative perspectives.
“He’s the godfather of sports around here,” Franklin said, “pulling the strings and treating every game as if it’s his most important game. Our students have no idea who he is, but we coaches and ADs sure do know how important he is. He’s a legend.”
In the course of any year, Mang estimates that he attends at least 200 contests and 50 meetings. All told, Mang has been a part of more than 12,000 high school athletic events over his illustrious career.
Pat Montana is a veteran official of three sports in his 41st year. He marvels at Mang’s dedication to his avocation. “The guy never stops working,” Montana said. “I’ve noticed messages on my phone at 2 or 3 in the morning adjusting assignments. He’s simply the best. I don’t know how he does it all.”
When not working in the world of local sports, Mang’s day job for 34 years included being a supervisor for Commercial Intertech in Youngstown and then night crew supervisor for Sam’s Club in Niles. He retired from his working career in 2012.
How long will Mang continue to be the Valley’s foremost leader in sports officiating?
“I honestly can’t tell you,” Mang said. “As long as I believe I am still helping the officials, my phone will constantly ring, and I will be there to answer it.”
There are countless individuals in the area who don’t want to hear any such talk of Mang retiring. “John is the glue that holds everything together,” said Rob Conklin, commissioner of the Northeast 8 Conference. “I hope he lives forever.”
To suggest a Friday profile, contact Metro Editor Marly Reichert at mreichert@tribtoday.com or Features Editor Ashley Fox at afox@tribtoday.com.