Longtime Manhattan High School girls’ basketball coach and mathematics teacher Scott Mall has retired, effective immediately, new MHS athletics director Shad Spilski confirmed to The Mercury on Tuesday.
“Scott has made the decision to retire from both teaching and coaching,” Spilski said. “We are going to miss him. For many years, he has served Manhattan High School, our community and our students well. He leaves enormous shoes to fill.”
Mall spent more than three decades helping shape Manhattan High’s girls basketball program, starting as an assistant coach before guiding the Indians to more than 500 victories during his tenure as head coach. His teams captured the 2017 Class 6A state championship while establishing one of the state’s most consistent programs.
In addition to coaching, Mall spent 36 years as a mathematics teacher at Manhattan High, part of a 48-year career in education.
His final season as head coach came this past winter as Manhattan finished 19-6 and earned a share of the Centennial League championship for the first time since 2018. The Indians advanced to the Class 6A sub-state championship before falling to Wichita East, one win shy of a state tournament berth.
In addition to serving as head girls’ basketball coach, Mall was formerly a cross country coach at MHS and an assistant track and field coach. He also held the head coaching position for Indians softball from 2004 to 2014.
Outside of Manhattan High, Mall served as Nemaha Valley High School’s head football coach from 1981 to 1983. The graduate of Linn also spent six years as the boys’ basketball head coach at Girard before coming to Manhattan for the 1990-91 school year.
Following his retirement, Mall will remain involved with Manhattan High athletics as the voice of Indian football, continuing to serve as the public address announcer on Friday nights at Bishop Stadium.