Morry Mannies, the longtime voice of Ball State athletics, has died, the school has confirmed. He was 81 years old.
A member of the Ball State Athletics, Delaware County Athletic and Indiana Basketball halls of fame, Mannies called Cardinals football, basketball and high school basketball games for 56 years before retiring in 2012. All told, Mannies documented more than 5,000 basketball games and over 500 Ball State football games.
“The (Ball State) community is saddened to learn that Morry Mannies, play-by-play announcer for (Ball State sports) for more than 50 years, has died,” Ball State president Geoffrey S. Mearns tweeted on Thursday. “We are proud of Morry’s many contributions to our University, and we will miss him as a Cardinal and friend.”
In football terms, Mannies accompanied the Ball State fan base through a lot of Cardinal losses. Ball Sate won nine conference titles in his 56 seasons, peaking with a 9-0-1 season and a Heartland Conference crown under Ray Louthen in 1965 and with a 10-1 season and a MAC title under Dwight Wallace in 1978.
Mannies outlasted 10 Ball State football coaches.
“This truly is a sad day not just for Ball State Athletics, but Ball State University,” BSU athletic director Beth Goetz said in a statement. “Morry’s passion and dedication to Ball State were unmatched. His broadcasts had a way of tying everyone from students, alumni, faculty and staff, parents and community members together. Our condolences go out to the Mannies family.”