Former Saint Vincent College All-American, National Football League star, and SVC head coach Bap Manzini has passed away at the age of 87.

Manzini, a native of Monongahela, PA, played center for the Bearcats from 1939-42, and was named an All-American during his final season by both the United Press International and the Associated Press.  While donning the green and gold, his teams went a combined 20-8-4.

After graduating from Saint Vincent with a teaching degree, Manzini entered the United States Air Force before playing two seasons in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles.  A center, he was named All-Pro, and earned Most Valuable Player honors in the NFL Pro Bowl. 

He then returned to Saint Vincent as a coach for two seasons, before returning to the NFL and splitting the 1948 season with the Eagles and Detroit Lions.

In 1950, Manzini then embarked on a long, successful tenure as a high school coach, starting off at Bellmar High School in Belle Vernon for 14 years.  Following the closing of Bellmar in 1965, he then traveled down Route 51 and took over the program at Thomas Jefferson High School in Jefferson Hills, where he taught and coached for 16 years.

While at Thomas Jefferson, he never had a losing season, culminating with an upset of Aliquippa High School in the 1980 WPIAL championship game by a 28-8 score.  He retired as a head coach shortly thereafter with an astounding career record of 203-74-8.

After retiring from Thomas Jefferson, Manzini then served as an assistant coach for the next 23 years at Yough, Belle Vernon, Elizabeth-Forward, and California High Schools before calling it quits in 2003 at the age of 82.

He inducted into the Mon Valley Sports Hall of Fame, the Western Pennsylvania Football Coaches Hall of Fame, Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, Western Chapter of the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame, Pennsylvania Coaches Hall of Fame, and the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.

Manzini is survived by his wife of 62 years, Sophia, his brother Norman, his daughter Linda Emanuele, and three grandchildren.