Matthew Manley has been selected as the Director of Athletics for the Laboratory Schools and will join the community for the 2023-24 school year. 

Mr. Manley will replace Lab’s current director of 20 years, David Ribbens, who is retiring. 

Mr. Manley will join the Lab community as an experienced athletics director and coach. In his career of 20 years, he has managed 50 sports teams and has worked at schools across Chicago as both a coach and administrator. He currently holds the position of athletics director for the Sacred Heart School, where he also served as an administrator, assistant athletics director and coach. He also gained experience as a head coach for the Francis W. Parker School and as assistant varsity and head coach for the Latin School of Chicago, according to an email from Director Tori Jueds sent to the Lab community April 24. 

Lab’s athletics department values its strong participation rate and wide range of sports and teams offered, according to a report conducted in Fall 2022. The report recommended changes to the department, including refining a clear mission statement and goals for the department, growing the coaching staff, creating more communication and exploring opportunities for new athletics facilities. In the conclusion of the report, Ms. Jueds states that she is excited to see the assessments will shape the athletics department with the incoming new leadership.

According to Ms. Jueds’ email, Mr. Manley values Lab’s values and diverse athletics department and will ensure every program is “safe, kind, equitable and enriching.”