Rick Manke joined the DLHS teaching and coaching staff in 1985. For over two decades the influence Manke had on all Laker extra-curricular activities was positive and is still being felt today.

It wasn’t about winning state championships — although a good handful of those were accomplished under Manke’s watch — but about benefiting the Laker student/athlete. What he brought to the Laker football program was strict discipline, a winning attitude and the correct way of playing the game.

By the time Manke decided to take on the activity director duties, and resign his head football coaching duties, he had racked up an amazing 120-31 record and three state championships.

Success didn’t happen overnight for Manke, with his first three seasons going 5-4, 4-5 and 5-5. But Manke was just getting started developing the younger players, something which is vital to building a successful program. Manke’s rigid discipline of doing the fundamentals led to perfection. In each of the Lakers’ three championship seasons in 1992, 1993 and 1995, DL went a combined 41-0.

 “If you tell younger kids enough times how to do things right, they’ll start believing you,” Manke said. “You teach them good technique and build their confidence in themselves, they will perform. “You need to take time with the younger players; you can’t just coach the varsity.”

That attitude started to pay off in 1988 when the Lakers went 10-1 and in 1990, Manke led his first team to the state playoffs and finished the season 11-2.

Manke credited the people who were around him for the success of his coaching tenure, but it was his detail-oriented way of coaching which eventually shot the Lakers up the mountain.

It wasn’t necessarily about winning, but what the players accomplished, Manke said. “The part I enjoyed when we won a state championship was seeing how much the kids enjoyed it,” Manke said. “Seeing what the kids got out of it is what it was all about. It’s a lifelong achievement to do what those kids did. They utilized that one chance, which many kids don’t get to have.”

After the 1997 season, Manke decided to move into his administrative activity director position, while resigning his head football position. During his time as activities director, Manke was able to instill that confidence and success in the rest of the programs. The coaches, who would see him attending virtually every home event, appreciated his hard-work ethic. Manke’s footprints are still seen on all the DLHS extra-curricular programs. “My philosophy was to keep as many kids involved in as many programs as possible,” Manke said.

That is why the standards are set high and being raised every year at DLHS to this day.

There’s no doubt the standards of the Detroit Lakes athletic programs have been set high and are still growing each year.

But the expectations and heights of Laker sports were propelled to the next level when Rick Manke decided to join the DLHS teaching and coaching staff from Glyndon-Felton in 1985.

For his accomplishments, Manke has been elected to the DLHS Hall of Honor in his first year of eligibility, after he retired in 2007 (an administrator, player or coach needs to be inactive or retired from a Laker program for at least five years before being qualified for entrance).

In an article which ran in the 1985 Detroit Lakes Tribune annual football tab — written by DLHS Hall of Honor inductee Ralph Anderson — Manke said he left Glyndon-Felton because he wanted “a challenge to try something new.”

Manke met that challenge head on and soon became one of the main reasons for three Laker football state championships, as well as raising the bar for other programs, after he became the activity director in 1998.

For over two decades, the influence Manke had on all Laker extra-curricular activities was positive and one which is still being felt today after his retirement in 2007.

It wasn’t about winning state championships — although a good handful of those were accomplished under Manke’s watch — but about benefiting the Laker student/athlete.

“He was an activities director, not an athletic director,” said DLHS principal Steve Morben, in an article published in 2007 for Manke’s retirement. “We’re not driven to place banners on the wall. We want our end product being kids getting involved, and Rick did a great job of helping to hire coaches who share that philosophy.”

 

Starting a legend on the gridiron

Manke came over from Glyndon-Felton already possessing a winning resumé.

During his time as head coach of the G-F Buffaloes, he accumulated a record of 65-25 in nine seasons, including a 39-5 mark in his last four years.

He directed the Buffaloes to a Class C state runner-up finish, ultimately losing to Harmony 20-14 in the Prep Bowl in 1984.

What he brought to the Laker football program was strict discipline, a winning attitude and the correct way of playing the game.

Oh, and an unstoppable offensive scheme, known as the veer.

By the time Manke decided to take on the activity director duties and resign his head football coaching duties, he had racked up an amazing 120-31 record and three state championships.

“Rick worked extremely hard and he got the younger kids out,” said current head DL football coach Flint Motschenbacher, who was a longtime defensive coordinator under Manke. “He developed confidence, skills and fundamentals in the players. And of course, the veer was a very good scheme to run.”

Success didn’t happen overnight for Manke, with his first three seasons going 5-4, 4-5 and 5-5.

But Manke was just getting started developing the younger players, something which is vital to building a contender year in and year out.

In the 1992 Laker football team Hall of Honor induction feature article, which ran in September of 2010, Matt Wimmer recalled a Manke memory when he was just a fifth grader.

“We were at Washington School having a football practice,” said Wimmer, who was a guard, long snapper and special teams ace on the state champion 1992 team.

“Rick walked up to us with a couple of his varsity players and told us, ‘I’ve been to some of the other schools here in town and it looks like we have a bunch of good athletes.

“It looks like you guys can win a bunch of games when you get the size.”

Manke’s rigid discipline of doing the fundamentals led to perfection. In each of the Lakers’ three championship seasons in 1992, 1993 and 1995, DL went a combined 41-0.

The idea of doing your job right and perfect, led to a group of players who ended up being unbeatable.

“If you tell younger kids enough times how to do things right, they’ll start believing you,” Manke said. “You teach them good technique and build their confidence in themselves, they will perform.

“You need to take time with the younger players, you can’t just coach the varsity.”

That attitude started to pay off in 1988 when the Lakers went 10-1 and in 1991, Manke led his first team to the state playoffs and finished the season 11-2.

Mike Gunderson, who ironically is also among the Class of 2012 Hall of Honor inductees, was on that 1991 team as the starting quarterback.

“We were the pioneers who helped start (the DL dynasty), since we made the state playoffs for the first time in Laker history,” Gunderson said. “Rick was the best thing ever to happen to the program, because the players had total respect for him and wanted to win for him.

“He always found a way to get the best out of you. One of his sayings which stuck with me was, ‘Be a champion today.’”

Manke quickly credits the people who were around him for the success of his coaching tenure, but it was his detail-oriented way of coaching which eventually shot the Lakers up the mountain.

The veer offense was run with 100-percent proficiency, which opposing defenses had an impossible time stopping.

But that was the plan.

“The key with the veer offense is if you don’t make mistakes, it’s virtually impossible not to move the ball,” Manke said. “And when you do that, the kids develop confidence.

“Once you have drilled it in the kids and developed their confidence, it is so rare to see a breakdown.”

The offensive line was taught where to step and block, while the quarterback and running backs developed good chemistry through some very detail-oriented practices.

But Manke had a talent to treat his players individually, knowing how and what buttons to push in each and every one.

“He just really knew how to read people,” Gunderson said. “He knew what players he could ride and be hard on and which ones he needed to be a bit softer with.

“No matter what your role was on the team, you felt like you were an important part of the success. That’s why everyone played hard for him.”

Each year the Lakers made it to the top of the heap for a state title, the relief of a long season ending as being the best, was well worth it.

It wasn’t necessarily about winning, but what the players accomplished, Manke said.

“The part I enjoyed when we won a state championship was seeing how much the kids enjoyed it,” Manke said. “Seeing what the kids got out of it is what it was all about. It’s a lifelong achievement to do what those kids did. They utilized that one chance, which many kids don’t get to have.”

After the 1997 season, Manke decided to move into his administrative activity director position, while resigning his head football position, which Motschenbacher took over.

Manke was grateful for his assistant coaches over the years — as well to then-activity director Ron Peterson — of which many have stayed on staff to continue to the Laker successful tradition.

Motschenbacher won his 100th game as DL head coach last year, after helping lead the Lakers to their fourth state title in 2001.

“Rick was good in that he let his coaches coach,” Motschenbacher said. “He would say to cover this and cover that, but then he would let us coach. He also had a way to motivate the kids. His timing was impeccable.”

During his time as activities director, Manke was able to install that confidence and success in the rest of the programs.

The coaches, who would see him attending virtually every home event, appreciated his hard-work ethic.

Now in retirement, Manke is still busy. He had the opportunity to watch his three sons, Ryan, Reed and Rory play for the University of North Dakota football team, while enjoying the outdoors.

“I’m gone somewhere everyday,” Manke said. “I am keeping busy. (Being elected to the Hall of Honor) isn’t about me, because I had a lot of good people around me. It takes an entire community and a lot of dedicated people to do this.”

But Manke’s footprints are still seen on all the DLHS extra-curricular programs.

“My philosophy was to keep as many kids involved in as many programs as possible,” Manke said.

That’s why the standards are set high and being raised every year at DLHS, to this day.