Beginning his 59th year of service, George Derbyshire, known to most as Derb, has carved out a legendary career at Manheim Central as a man of many hats.
He has been a teacher, coach, athletic trainer, tournament director, event manager, announcer, athletic director and associate athletic director during his tenure with the Barons.
Derb was the athletic director from 1986 to 2022 but has done it pretty much all for Manheim athletics since 1967.
He came to Manheim in the '60s at the behest of Glenn and Norma Seifried, whom he met while working at the Nottingham Camps at West Nottingham Academy in Rising Sun, Maryland. Glenn was a teacher/coach/counselor at Manheim Central.
Early on, Derb was heavily involved with wrestling. He was the assistant junior high wrestling coach from 1967 to 1974. During that span he also spent time as the high school cross country coach and junior high football coach.
From 1975 to 2005, he was the athletic trainer for the athletic department. He also served as the equipment manager from 1980 to present and the track meet announcer from 1968 to present.
From 1978 to 2017 he served as the host and coordinator of the Manheim Lions Holiday Wrestling Tournament.
He currently serves as the associate athletic director, a post he has held since 2022.
Among his top memories in Manheim, Derb relishes the school’s three state championship squads: 1976 field hockey team, 2003 football team and 2025 boys volleyball team. These teams are honored in the Athletic Alley Display he started at the school
He was inducted into the Manheim Central Hall of Fame in 2005, the Lancaster-Lebanon League Hall of Fame in 2022 and was named “Wrestling USA Magazine” Pennsylvania Man of the Year in 1996.
Born in Ridley, Pennsylvania, he spent time in his youth in Detroit before graduating from West Nottingham Academy in Rising Run, Maryland, before heading off to Maryville College in Tennessee. He earned his teaching credentials at West Chester University.