Grove Park Inn – It was a special night for the Maennle family on Monday. All gathered at the Grove Park to see Frank Maennle inducted into the NC Athletic Directors Association Hall of Fame. It was a fitting honor for a man who served his school and community with pride and integrity for 30 years, 15 of those as athletic director. Fitting also, was his family, wife Angie, daughter Lauren, and son Matthew being the ones to introduce him at the ceremony.
Charlie Chapman, Greg Clewis, and Bob Henry, a longtime coach and athletic director at Cherokee joined Maennle in the induction class of 2016. Maennle also joins his predecessor Boyce Deitz, class of 2004 as a member of the 86 member NCADA Hall of Fame.
What follows is Coach Maennle’s bio from the induction program.
During his coaching career at Swain he was head boys’ basketball coach for 24 years, from 1989 – 2013. Over those years his teams won over 300 games, 4 Conference Championships, 3 Tournament Championships and 1 Sectional Championship. He was named Smoky Mountain Conference Coach of the Year 4 times. In football as an assistant coach , for 24 years he coached on 7 State Championship staffs, and 3 times on State Runner-up staffs.
He has coached in three major All-Star Games in basketball – 1992 Blue-White game in Asheville, 2005 East-West All-Star game in Greensboro both as head coach. In 2013 he was Assistant Coach for the North Carolina-South Carolina game in Myrtle Beach.
He has served in Athletic Administration at Swain COunty for fifteen and a half years. During that time Swain County won 6 State Championships and in 1997 and 1998 won their first team championship besides football as the Boys Cross Country team won back to back State Titles. In 2008 the Volleyball team won the first ever Female Team State Championship. From 2004-2010 he was on the NCADA Board of Directors and Leadership positions culminating with the President’s position in 2010. During this time, he received in 2007 from the NCHSAA, the Region 8 Award of Merit and the 2013 Bud Phillips Retiree Award. He also sat on the Eligibility Committee and in 2012 the Realignment Committee for 2013-2017.
In conclusion it is important to note that Coach Maennle still serves Swain County Schools, now as a member of the Board of Education.
From all of us associated with the Maroon Nation we offer Coach Maennle our sincerest congratulations and our deepest thanks!