WATERTOWN, Wis. -- Dr. Curtis Malmanger - longtime Maranatha football coach, professor, and contributor to Maranatha Athletics and Christian education - went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday night, December 9, surrounded by family.

Coach Malmanger had a profound impact on the students at Maranatha, as he filled the role of Assistant Football Coach for over 25 years. "Doc Mal" - as students affectionately called him - was a mainstay and passionate supporter of the Maranatha Football Program, as he helped coach the team from 1988 to 2016.

Malmanger graduated with a bachelor's and master's degree in Math Education from Bemidji State, an additional bachelor's degree from Pillsbury Baptist Bible College, and an earned PHD in Applied Statistics from the University of Northern Colorado. He used his studies to serve as a professor at Maranatha from 1988 to 2014. Beyond that, he served as a deacon and financial secretary in the local church.

"As MBU's Athletic Director, I had the opportunity to work with 'Doc Mal' as he served as an assistant football coach, as well as our in-house 'wrestling tournament scoring guru'!" said Maranatha's former Athletic Director, Rob Thompson. "Doc Mal was passionate about both sports, and he was equally as disappointed to see them both come to an end on Maranatha's campus. Doc Mal could often be seen at other Maranatha sporting events, and I know he desired to see MBU students compete, and to compete at a high level."

"I was not blessed to get to work with Doc Mal, but to see his family serving the Lord speaks a lot about his leadership, his commitment to ministry, and his love for the Lord as the patriarch of the family," said Paul Brown, Maranatha's current Director of Athletics. "I have heard from others that he may have been small in stature but when it comes to his impact on our students and student athletes, he was a giant of a man!"

Calvary Baptist Church in Watertown, Wisconsin will hold a special memorial service in honor of Dr. Malmanger on Saturday, December 20 at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m.

For photos of Doc Mal, go here.