Q&A With New Head Football Coach Ed Mantie
BC High Athletics took some time to ask new Head Football Coach, Ed Mantie (pronounced Man-tie), some questions as he prepares for his BC High inaugural season this Fall.
Q#1: Welcome to BC High, Coach. Would you like to give a quick football Bio to our current and former players on where you played and coached?
EM: “My entire life was and has always been consumed by football. Growing up, my father was a head football coach at Fox Lane HS in Bedford, NY where I was a permanent fixture on the sidelines, in the meeting rooms & running into the tackling dummies. My first experience playing came in Pop Warner & Junior HS, where I started at QB my 7th grade year. At HS in Danbury, CT, as a junior we made the playoffs for the 1st time in 14 yrs. As a senior captain playing 4 positions, I helped the team to an undefeated season. We won the League championship for the 1st time in 15 years & went on to achieve a #1 ranking in the state.
After HS, I was offered a full scholarship to Boston University. After redshirting my 1st year, I moved positions, playing receiver. I was a 4 year letterman & captain as a senior, 1995. During that time, BU had an undefeated season and went on to win the league championship, BU’s first. We played in several 1AA (now called FCS) playoffs going as far as the semis my junior year. I caught at least one pass in 46 of the 47 games I appeared in and set a Terrier single season record with 81 receptions & led all of Division 1AA in receptions/game with 7.36. The 81 receptions accounted for a team leading 943 yards, 5th in school history. I finished my career tied for 4th on BU’s all-time list earning All-League & All-American honors in the process.
After BU, I worked as the strength and conditioning coach for the University of Massachusetts Lowell Division 1 hockey team for 10 years. In 2006 I got back into the football world as an OC for Weston HS in Weston, MA where I also took my first teaching job. By my 5th year we had turned around a program that had previously won just 3 games in 4 years to a team that finished 10-1. I took my first head coaching position in 2011 at Westwood HS in Westwood, MA where we won our league championship 3 out of the 6 years as HC and was voted Coach of the Year in the TVL for 2012 & 2016.
It was then that I accepted the HC job at Framingham HS in 2017. We took a 2 wins in 5 years program to having a winning record, beating Natick at Fenway Park, and winning a Bay Sate League championship in 2018 and making the playoffs for the first time in 16 years in 2019. “
Q#2: When was your first encounter with BC High, and did you know anything about the school prior to getting the job?
EM: “My first encounter with BC High was when we were matched up against them in the first round of the 2019 playoffs when I was at Framingham. The atmosphere was amazing, and I remember thinking to myself, this would be a fantastic place to coach. I knew that being a Jesuit school, BC High student athletes would be familiar with the excitement of being a part of something bigger than themselves and that if I were ever fortunate enough to coach there, I would use that tenet as the basis of our team culture.”
Q#3: How would you describe your coaching style to the players and alumni of BC High?
EM: “My coaching style is one of passion and enthusiasm. Nothing great is this world was ever accomplished without great enthusiasm and desire to succeed. I am the ultimate competitor and I want my team to be as well. Whether it’s in a game, during practice, running a sprint, in the weight room, in the classroom, or in life. Compete! Take risks, step out of your comfort zone and do not be afraid to fail. I will continually stress that playing high school sports is something you “get” to do, not “got” to do and it will be some of the best memories you will ever create for yourself if you are passionate about it.”
Q#4: What is a short term goal, and long term goal you have set for yourself taking over as head football coach at BC High?
EM: “My short-term goal is to develop relationships and trust with my players as soon as possible. This is a must if we are going to do great things. No one can perform up to their potential unless they are positive their best interests and the team’s best interest are being kept in mind by their coaching staff. Long-term goal…simple…win state championships!”
Q#5: Your favorite ice cream flavor?
EM: “It’s got to be black raspberry chocolate chip. Throw a little hot fudge on there and I am good to go!”