Bellefonte will be looking for a new head football coach.
After eight years leading the Red Raiders program, Shanon Manning was hired on Thursday by Keystone Central School District to be head coach at Central Mountain in Mill Hall.
Manning led Bellefonte to District 6 championships in 2017 and 2019. In 2018 he was named the Central Pennsylvania Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year-North. The Raiders finished 3-4 during the 2020 season.
He was defensive coordinator at Bald Eagle from 2011 to 2013 and spent 10 seasons before that as an assistant at his alma mater, Penns Valley. Manning played in college at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
“I am extremely excited to get started,” Manning said in a release from Keystone Central School District. “This is a tremendous opportunity to challenge myself both mentally and physically. I can not wait to meet the team and work with the players to put the vision into action.”
He told the Lock Haven Express it was a “bittersweet” decision to leave Bellefonte.
“I will miss the players and the families, but I know those kids will do great things,” Manning told the Express. “Sometimes, you just need a change and you need to push yourself. I needed a change and I think this is the best situation for me.”
Manning’s hire as head coach of the Wildcats comes following the resignation of James Renninger, who stepped down stepped down after five years in the position and a 4-4 season in 2020.
According to Thursday’s Keystone Central School Board meeting agenda, Manning will receive a salary of $7,617.
“The interview process revealed that Shanon Manning has the skill, desire, experience, and the right leadership qualities to be a successful coach for us,” Central Mountain Athletic Director Stephen Hafele said in a statement. “We believe that he will establish strong relationships with our players and families as we strive to build a winning culture for our football program.”
