"The average person, I don't think, doesn't see how much a coach works. Our offseason workouts begin in October, and I was at school about 5:30 in the morning every day. We built a clubhouse for the kids this year and they appreciated that."
That diligent effort by Mandella, a college counselor at Central, helped the Knights capture a state championship last June in East Peoria. The Knights were 33-8 against a top-flight schedule during their state championship season.
Mandella was an assistant varsity boys basketball coach for Frank Palmasani when Providence Catholic won the 1979 Class A boys basketball state championship. That team was powered by all-staters Walter Downing and Barney Mines.
Mandella was the Celtics' varsity head basketball coach for 18 years. He also coached baseball and football at Providence.
"Winning a state championship, regardless of the sport, always has to be a highlight for a coach," said Mandella, a three-sport athlete at Providence who graduated in 1973.
"Everybody, whether you're a coach or player, dreams of winning a state championship. We had a fantastic run in 2008 and won some games in the late innings. That was a group of girls I will never forget."
The Knights finished 25-9 this season. In Mandella's tenure, they captured four conference championships and took home five regional titles.
"I'm proud of how our softball teams represented both Lincoln-Way Central and Providence," said Mandella, who coached the Celtics' softball team for eight years before switching to Lincoln-Way Central. "How we approached the game and conducted ourselves is what made us special and different. During the last 30 years, I have been very fortunate to work with terrific young men and young women student-athletes.
"I loved coaching softball at Lincoln-Way Central and I would never cheat the kids. I have high standards. I tried to make it a high profile softball program. We accomplished that and much had to do with the kids in the program."
Mandella and his wife, Jean, have been married for 31 years. They have three children -- Megan, 27, Ryan, 24, and Kevin, 19. Ryan has been an assistant coach for his father the last two years.
"My wife has been simply unbelievable," said Mandella, a 1977 Saint Xavier University graduate. "It isn't easy being a coach's wife. Jean has been supportive in every endeavor I've gone into. She has never interfered."
