Cal Poly Hall of Fame Football Player Dick Mannini Passes at Age 88
9/30/2021 5:39:00 PM | Football
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Richard (Dick) Mannini, a two-way starter on three championship football teams at Cal Poly who went on to coach at Saint Mary's, Stanford, San Jose State and San Francisco State, passed away Wednesday in Sonora, Calif., of kidney failure.Mannini was 88 years old.
Born in 1933, Mannini served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1951-54 after graduation from high school, with three tours of duty in Korea. He was a fullback on offense and linebacker on defense at Cal Poly from 1956-58.
Those three teams compiled a 24-5 win-loss record, including 8-1 in 1957 and 9-1 in 1958. He was named the 1958 team's best offensive back (Clarence Brown Award), most inspirational (Charles Hardy Memorial Award) and earned the Bob Mott Award as the most outstanding physical education graduate.
After earning his bachelor's degree in physical education in 1959, Mannini began his coaching career at Chowchilla High School before becoming defensive coordinator at Allan Hancock College, assisting John Madden. The Bulldogs were 23-6 in the three seasons in which Mannini coached. He also was head coach at Santa Maria High School, earning three league titles and a 27-5 record.
Mannini then built the football program from scratch at Rio Hondo College, winning four consecutive league titles in eight seasons and reaching the state playoff semifinals twice.
He was defensive coordinator for three years at San Jose State before serving eight years as head coach and associate director of athletics at Saint Mary's College, compiling a 45-23-1 record from 1977-84. Posting an undefeated, untied season in 1982, Mannini was inducted into the Saint Mary's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008. He joined the Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.Mannini went on to coach the defense under Jack Elway and Dennis Green at Stanford, coaching five NFL draftees, before he was head football coach and athletics director at San Francisco State. He retired in 1997 and spent most of his retirement in Twain Harte, Calif.
Mannini was invited by Madden to his NFL Hall of Fame Induction and was a life member of the American Football Coaches Association.
"The passing of Richard Mannini is a great loss to our Saint Mary's community," Vice President for Athletics, Mike Matoso said. "He was one of the greatest football coaches in the storied history of the program. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones."
Mannini is survived by his three daughters, Jan Ertola, Lisa Schultz and Denise Walker, along with eight grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. His wife of 58 years, Sandy, who worked as a secretary at Cal Poly in the 1950s and 1960s, where they met, passed away in 2016.
Services are pending.
Cal Poly Football Linebacker Kenny Olson Postgame Press Conference - UC Davis (Oct. 4, 2025)
Sunday, October 05
Cal Poly Football Head Coach Paul Wulff Postgame Press Conference - UC Davis (Oct. 4, 2025)
Sunday, October 05
Cal Poly Football Locker Room Speech by Josh Ngaluafe After Win Over No. 21 Sacramento State
Sunday, September 28
Coach Wulff Postgame Interview - Western Oregon (9-13-25)
Sunday, September 14
