Rory Mannering - Football Coach - Ball State University Athletics

Rory Mannering

Title:
Safeties Coach
Phone:
765-285-8251
Email:
football@bsu.edu
Alma Mater:
Hanover '12
Years at Ball State:
1st season in 2025
Years Coaching:
14th season in 2025

A defensive coordinator at both DePauw and Denison prior to joining Mike Uremovich's staff at Butler in January 2024, Rory Mannering arrives in Muncie as the Cardinals' safeties coach.

Prior to his appointment at Ball State, Mannering served as Butler's assistant head coach while directing the linebacker position group. Before his time with the Bulldogs, he worked various roles at DePauw University, Denison University and at Defiance College.

"Rory is going be a great fit on our staff as a coach and more importantly as a person who truly cares about student-athletes," said Uremovich. "He has led one of the nation’s top defenses as a coordinator and has shown to be a very successful recruiter in our footprint."

In his lone year with the Butler program, the Bulldogs boasted a top 10 FCS ranking in points allowed (4th) as well as points scored (9th).

Prior to his tenure with Uremovich, Mannering worked as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at DePauw. The Tigers held a 31-6 record over four seasons with Mannering calling the defense and were able to win three North Coast Athletic Conference Championships.

DePauw had the league's defensive player of the year for three straight years and placed 27 student-athletes on all-conference teams. The 2022 DePauw defense paced the NCAC in scoring defense, rush defense, pass defense and total defense. The 2023 team was nearly as good leading in three of the four categories.

Also a top recruiter with the Tigers, Mannering boasts local ties after cultivating talent in Indianapolis, Northeast Indiana and Chicago. His influence spans to Ohio after spending five seasons as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Denison University.

Mannering served at Denison from 2015-19 where he primarily led the defensive backs. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2019 when the Big Red promptly led the NCAC in scoring defense, total defense, rush defense, pass defense, sacks and fumble recoveries. Denison posted a 38-13 record during his tenure, including back-to-back NCAC co-championships in 2018 and 2019, and the program's first NCAA postseason appearance (2018) since 1986.

He began his football coaching journey at Defiance College in Ohio, as a graduate assistant in 2012 and eventually serving as the team’s wide receiver coach and co-special teams coordinator.

A 2012 Hanover College graduate, Mannering majored in both health and movement studies and secondary education. He earned his master's degree in education and coaching from Defiance in 2015.

As a student-athlete, Mannering was a four-year starter at free safety and two-time captain for the Panthers at Hanover. He earned all-conference honors all four years and was a first-team D3football.com All-North Region selection in 2011. Mannering played in the Stars and Stripes Division III Senior Bowl in Puebla, Mexico in 2011. He played football, basketball and baseball at Lewis Cass High School in Walton, Indiana.

He and his wife, Blaine, have a son, Trace, and a daughter, Tate.