Powering the T: Gus Manning

Oct. 26, 2011

A Real Job Description

Gus Manning received a two-page, athletics department memorandum from "R.R. Neyland, Director of Athletics," dated Dec. 29, 1960, outlining his new job description after a recent promotion. Manning was named Neyland's administrative assistant and also had just talked the General into hiring his friend, Haywood Harris, to take over UT athletics publicity.

Those moves worked out pretty well. Both men stayed in their respective positions for the next 40 years.

Here's what Manning had to look forward to taking care of after the New Year's 1961 holiday.

Direct responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Ticketing
Security
Game-day traffic and parking
Band and cheerleaders
Visiting locker room
Programs and concessions
Public address and scoreboard
Halftime festivities
Stadium cleanup
Stadium and field house seating
Ushers and janitorial staff
Faculty advisor
Track, baseball diamond and tennis courts maintenance
Broadcasts originating from stadium
Sunday TV program during football season
Stadium store (East and South Stadium Hall dining facility)
Practice-field maintenance and groundskeepers
Public relations program
Speakers for high school banquets, civic clubs, etc.
Purchasing, receiving and accounting for athletics
Team travel

And finally:

"Accept and carry out any extra duties assigned by the Athletic Director (The General), as he sees fit."

-- John Painter

BY JOHN PAINTER
UTSports.com

Gus Manning has had a little bit of responsibility in his days on Tennessee's campus.

Hired by UT's first athletics director, Gen. Robert Neyland, in 1951, Manning has been everything from sports information director and administrative assistant, to assistant, associate and senior associate athletics director. He was named 1989 Business Manager of the Year by the College Athletic Business Managers Association.

But just because Manning celebrated his 88th birthday back in July doesn't mean he's not still getting things done for the Vols.

"I try to stay involved with a few things, although I don't have as many jobs as I used to have," said Manning.

The Knoxville native and UT graduate went on to a lengthy fulltime career for his alma mater. These days, Manning has slowed down to just the following items in support of the Tennessee athletics program:

The Locker Room radio show on WIVK each gameday Saturday. Along with longtime media relations director Bud Ford, Manning carries on the tradition of the self-proclaimed "longest running pregame show in the country." Manning and Ford host the opposing team's publicity director each week to rehash old stories and, if time allows, provide a brief preview of that week's game.

Vol Sports Report on WIVK Radio. With the help of Josh Pate in the UT Exercise, Sport and Leisure Studies Department, Manning relays a bit of history in short-story fashion on the Big Orange athletics program.

Tennessee 101 on UTSports.com. Again Manning teams with Ford for the weekly online video presentation about Tennessee traditions.

UT Athletics liaison and member of the selection committee boards for the Tennessee Sports and Knoxville Sports halls of fame. Manning has worked with the state organization since it began in 1966 and with the Knoxville group since it started in 1985.

Liaison with UT campus ministries to arrange presenters for the pregame prayer at home football games. "People all over the state call wanting to get their preacher doing the prayer," Manning said. "We can't do that. The ministerial association on campus assigns the ministers, and I help with their credentials and such." The Rev. Charlie Donahue from John XXIII University Parish/Catholic Center on Melrose Avenue has this week's assignment.

Athletics department representative at funerals and hospital visits. "We had a good visit with Bob Davis before he died, and we were at George Mooney's funeral," Manning said.

Manning is a fixture at nearly all UT home sporting events, and a few on the road. He's also a familiar sight tooling around campus on his mid-1990s model Cushman.

"I've got nearly 14,000 miles on this one," said Manning, who acquired his original Cushman in 1962 when Neyland Stadium's west upper deck opened.

"Coach (Bob) Woodruff used to have me take customers up the Gate 10 ramp to the upper deck so they could look at potential season ticket locations," Manning said of the Tennessee AD who replaced Neyland after The General's death in 1962. "We had to get it customized for more power to make it up those steep ramps.

"I've been driving one around campus ever since."

Manning says the demand for speeches and appearances tapered off when his longtime athletics department partner Haywood Harris died in the summer of 2010. Manning and Harris were longtime co-workers and friends. They even co-wrote two books, Six Seasons Remembered: The National Championship Years of Tennessee Football and Once a Vol, Always a Vol! The Proud Men of the Volunteer Nation.

"We were a good team," he said. "When we were advertising our books, we were in a lot of places."

This fall, Manning has had the added pleasure of two grandchildren attending UT. His grandson, Chad, graduates in December, and his granddaughter, Elizabeth, just enrolled as a freshman in August.

"She's a sorority girl, an A-O-Pi," he said. "She'll be living in one of those houses next year."

Perhaps they'll need Manning to handle a job for them.

He could just add it to his list.

University of Tennessee Athletics

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