Mann spent the last three seasons at Ben Davis, where he led the Giants to the 2023 Class 6A state championship.<\/p>\n
LAWRENCE, Ind. \u2014 The Lawrence Central Bears will have a new head coach on the gridiron this fall.<\/p>\n
The MSD of Lawrence Township school board approved the hire of Russell Mann as the head football coach at Lawrence Central. He recently spent three seasons coaching at Ben Davis<\/a>, leading the Giants to the 2023 Class 6A state championship. Mann left Ben Davis after the 2025 season, after compiling an 8-13 record<\/a> in the past two seasons.<\/p>\n “My leadership style brings everyone together in the pursuit of excellence,” Mann said in a release from the school. “I know what winning looks like and am confident that with leadership, hard work, and tactical analyses, Lawrence Central will quickly become one of the Indiana\u2019s most dominant football programs.”<\/p>\n The Bears haven’t had a winning season since 2017 and haven’t won a sectional title since 2012<\/a>, when they won the Class 5A state championship. Mann was an assistant coach on that Bears team.<\/p>\n “Our community is ready to get Lawrence Central back to state champion status, and I have every confidence in Coach Mann to take the Bears to the next level. I know firsthand that a high-quality football program develops young men, creates school unity, and positively impacts the morale of the larger school community,” MSD of Lawrence Township Superintendent Dr. Shawn A. Smith said in the district’s release.<\/p>\n