Matthew (Matt) Mann II

Matthew “Matt” Mann II

University of Michigan Swimming Coach (1924 – 1953)

Matt Mann was born in Yorkshire, England and learned to swim at age eight in his hometown in England. He became England’s boy champion at age nine and a senior champion at age fourteen. He emigrated to the U.S. in his early 20’s and settled in Buffalo, N.Y. where he set National “Y” records in the 100-yard and 220-yard freestyle. He moved on to the Detroit Athletic Club in 1919 and coached more than a dozen swimmers who went on to Olympic glory. In 1925 he became the head swim coach at the University of Michigan where he would stay for the next 29 years. During his tenure, the Wolverines would win 16 Conference and 13 National titles as well as turning out more Olympic swimmers than any other University. After his mandatory retirement from the University of Michigan in 1953 due to age, he went on the coach the University of Oklahoma to eight consecutive Big Eight championships. Mann also coached the 1952 U.S. Olympic swim team to four of the six gold medals awarded. Matt Mann was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1980 and was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1959. He passed away on August 6, 1962 at 77 years of age.