GHSF Daily asked Georgia head coaches to answer these four questions. We'll report from a different head coach each day.
Greg Manior, Mundy's Mill
1. Who is/was the most influential person in your coaching career? "Being the son of a high school football coach, I would have to say that my dad, Sam Manior, was a great influence on my coaching career. Even though I did not play on my dad's team and I actually played against him, he was a great influence because of his resilience after I would run all over his football team. He would be upset that I played so well against his team, but he would always tell me what I could have done better. We lived in Effingham County, and he was the head football coach at Savannah High in the early to mid-1980s. I remember once I ran a toss sweep to his sideline and I broke free and we looked into each others' eyes as I ran past him on the sideline. I thought he was going to tackle me himself! The other great influence in my coaching career is my high school coach, Bob Griffith. Coach Griff got into our heads as players and made us realize that football is just like life. You have to take the good with the bad and the bitter with the sweet. You never stop working to get better."
2. Who is the best Georgia player you ever faced?"Brentson Buckner is the best player I've faced as a player. We played them when I played at Effingham in the 1987 semifinals when he was at Carver-Columbus. He was a MAN up front and we had a hard time blocking him. To this day, the Carver-Columbus players still complain that they were not preparing for us all week. I can't help it that Evans had to forfeit because they used a radio in their helmet!"
3. What is the best team you ever faced as a coach? "Lovejoy 2012 was a great team. Travis Custis and Alejandro Benefield were a great tandem in the backfield, and their defense was the fastest I had ever seen."
4. If you were Gary Phillips, the new head of the GHSA, what would be the first rule that you would try to change? "I would allow preseason jamborees. I would allow four teams to get together and play each other for two quarters at one site. I would also allow spring scrimmages against other teams. I guess I'm a little old school."
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