Georgia Southern icon Ric Mandes, 92, passed away peacefully on Friday, April 4.

Mandes, who had a 27-year career at Georgia Southern College, was named public relations director at the school in 1961, and was subsequently a proponent of bringing a football program back to Georgia Southern in the 1980s. He was instrumental in bringing Erskine “Erk” Russell to the school as the first head coach of a football program that grew to dominate what was then the 1-AA Division of the NCAA.

He hosted College Today, a television program that was shown on area stations and the Georgia Public Broadcasting Network.

He was also a columnist and writer for several newspapers, including the Atlanta Constitution, and authored several books.

Mandes retired from Georgia Southern in 1988, after which he which he went into marketing, focusing on promotion and public relations for several technical colleges. He became the first editor of Statesboro Magazine in 2000  and continued to contribute to the magazine throughout the rest of his life.

According to an obituary posted by Joiner Anderson Funeral Home and Crematory late Friday night, Mandes is survived by his children, Rich (Jan) Mandes, Birmingham, AL; Deanne Page (Terry), Statesboro, GA; and the late Mark Mandes; the children's mother, Carolyn Mandes; four grandchildren, Micah Mandes, CC Bailey (Brandon), Jan Marie Page, and Garrett Mandes (Faith); and 3 great grandchildren, Riley Mandes, Elizabeth Mandes, and Brighton Bailey.

According to the obituary, his family will receive visitors on Thursday, April 10th, from noon until 2 p.m. at Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home in Statesboro. The funeral service will immediate follow in the funeral home chapel, and interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation in memory of Ric Mandes at https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/60955/donations/new

Friends may sign the online register book at www.joineranderson.com