Manheim Central tabs Govern as new athletic director

By Bruce Morgan

Scott Govern is pushing three decades an an athletic director.

So the 57-year-old is a veteran.

In his role, he has seen a myriad of high school teams from District Three and beyond over the years.

Name a school and Govern could likely tell you that he’s familiar with it.

Manheim Central included. “The kids are always classy, (show) good sportsmanship and they were just good,” Govern said. “They were tough.”

Now he gets to see firsthand what goes into making the Barons tough.

Monday, June 16th was Govern’s first official day as Manheim Central’s new director of athletics and activities, having replaced Marc Schaffer, who stepped away last December. Baron football coach Dave Hahn had been fulfilling the AD duties in the interim.

“In my personal opinion, I think Manheim Central is the crown jewel of the Lancaster-Lebanon League,” said Govern, who was approved for the position at MC’s April 28 school board meeting. “They’re solid in all their programs, they have tremendous coaches, the community is very supportive and they have strong academics. So to me, it was the total package.”

Even from the inside, nothing has happened to convince Govern that the Barons are anything but classy.

“The kids are awesome,” said Govern, a Phillipsburg, N.J. native who played in the Canadian Football League for one season with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, coached linebackers at Lock Haven University and was a defensive coordinator at Victor Cullen Academy. “They’re really respectful and polite. They’re go-getters, they work hard and the administration team ... everyone I’ve met at Manheim Central has been amazing. They’ve been very welcoming and forthcoming.”

Back in the late 90’s, Govern got his first AD’s job at Boiling Springs, where he was also an assistant football coach. Additionally, since then, he has been the AD at Spring Grove, Upper Adams, and Derry Township School District/Hershey High School. For the past four years, Govern was the athletic director at Middletown, in addition to serving as the Blue Raiders’ football coach in 2023-24.

“My kids that I left at Middletown, they were babies and

we developed them and now they’re going to be really good this year,” he said. “So I’m excited for them, but the good thing is, I get to be part of a program like Manheim Central.”

It didn’t take long during the interview process for Govern to start feeling comfortable with the Baron students.

Seated in a room with 14 pupils, he was impressed with how they carried themselves. Govern answered their questions, then turned the tables.

The interviewee became the interviewer, asking them to describe the kids at Manheim Central.

Govern didn’t solicit any specific words from the students, who represented an array of interests from band to Baron Stage and athletics. Yet they offered such responses as “competitive, tough and empathetic.”

“I believe these were the leaders of the school district,” Govern said. “You could tell they were, like, the top dogs in the school. They were picked for a reason ...

“Obviously, kids are going to be nervous when they have a stranger in front of them,” he added. “But they were so poised. It didn’t take long for us to get pretty comfortable with each other and trust where the conversation was going.”

Already, even with classrooms empty for the summer, Govern is having interactions with student-athletes.

The weight room is wall-towall with Barons looking to get bigger, stronger and faster. Kids are working out on the turf fields in the heat before coming inside to pump iron.

Govern has taken notice. “One hundred percent,” he said. “From the small things that I’ve seen already in two weeks how they work out and how they do things. I’m not surprised why they have success, just the way their culture is.”

The new AD’s mission is to be visible. He brings passion and organization to the job, but building a connection with the students and coaches is important to him. While first starting out as an AD at Boiling Springs, his mindset was perhaps foremost on wins and success between the white lines.

Naturally, the victories are still important, but as he’s grown and evolved, the relationships with people and development of kids have taken increased value with Govern.

“It’s all about connections,” he said, “because I want to help our programs develop the kids as well as developing the coaches. We want to teach our kids leadership skills. We want to elevate them so that they’re ready for post graduation, the next step in their life, and they’re prepared for it. So I’m trying to have it so they have a positive experience.”

As someone who formerly coached football, Govern is naturally excited to join a school like Manheim Central, which won the State title in 2003, has 18 District Three championships in its trophy case and is copied by many.

But it won’t only be Friday nights that he is visible to the community. You can expect to see him fully supporting every other MC team and attending their games as well.

“You want all the coaches and the programs for the kids to feel valued,” Govern said. “So how you do that is, you show interest, you show up to those contests and you give them the support they need.

“Yes, football is fantastic at Manheim Central,” he added. “I’ve talked to Dave Hahn in the past about this is, other places I’ve been at, you emulate Manheim Central’s program and what they’ve done and been able to establish. So to be a part of that is fantastic. But I love all sports, so I will be at everything. That’s the only way I know. It’s an oldstyle mentality — that’s to put the time in and be visible and be around. That’s what I love about the job.”

There’s something else Govern loves about the Manheim Central job. The opportunity to work with the granddaddy of all athletic directors — longtime Baron icon George Derbyshire — is a thrill for Govern.

Derbyshire is now an associate AD for the Barons, and Govern will surely be tapping into his expertise.

“I mean, you can’t get a better resource than having a legend in your own building,” Govern said. “He’s so sharp with things. He’s developed the Manheim Central culture over all these years. I’ve dealt with him for 26 years as an AD at other places, so I know what he’s done. Now I get to see it first-hand. He’s just been a great asset to have.”

Being his first time working at a Lancaster-Lebanon League school, Govern will also get to work first-hand with the L-L’s other ADs, and he is looking forward to it.

“They’re all good guys,” Govern said. “We do it for the right reasons.”

It’s been nearly three decades that Govern has been doing it. Not quite equal to Derbyshire’s run, but he’s happy to be at Manheim Central.