Wayzata educator, coach William Manning

William Manning, a former Wayzata educator, school board member and wrestling coach who led an effort to help students and adults with alcohol or drug problems, died at his Tucson, Ariz., home on Feb. 22.

Manning coached Wayzata High School to state wrestling championships in 1951, 1952 and 1953. He began teaching in Wayzata in 1950. His subjects were English, social studies, health and physical education.

Manning coached former state senator David Gaither in track.

"He had a rare blend of street smarts and higher education. He always seemed to have a knack for responding the right way," Gaither said.

On April 14, Manning will be inducted into the Minnesota Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, as an "outstanding American" for his service to youth and for his work in the fight against substance abuse, said his wife, Bettie,, of Tucson.

In the March 3, 1976, Minneapolis Star, Manning said, "Not too many years ago we'd catch a kid drunk or high and we'd bring him in, call his parents, chew him out and kick" him out of school.

"Then one day, finally, we looked at what we had been doing and realized that was a damn awful way to be treating kids that obviously needed help," he said.

Manning, who once was known as "Wild Bill" for his tough discipline, began a formal program to help students and faculty with substance abuse problems in 1975.

In the ensuing years, he worked as a volunteer helping several chemical dependency groups in their work, such as Hazelden and D.A.R.E. He spoke before groups in the United States and Canada, both students and adults, about substance abuse.

His son Patrick (Buck), of Plymouth, said that Manning was passionate about his work in family counseling and chemical-dependency intervention and continued those activities during retirement in Tucson, where he moved in the early 1990s.

Steve Root, principal of Wayzata Central Middle School in Plymouth, said: "Everybody had respect for him. He was able to get people energized about everything. He was about kids and giving kids good experiences."

Manning, who became principal of Wayzata High School in 1970, retired in the early 1980s. In 1985, he won election to the Wayzata school board, serving several years.

Manning earned his doctorate in education at the University of South Dakota in 1970.

He had been a college wrestler at Purdue University, Indiana, but his athletic career was cut short when he was injured as a freshman. In the 1960s, he was a Big 10 Conference wrestling official.

In addition to his wife and son Patrick, he is survived by sons Steve, of Tucson, and Tom, of Hamel, Minn.; daughter Linda Rebling, of Tucson, and six grandchildren.

Ben Cohen • bcohen@startribune.com