BY DAN STICKRADT
WEB AND CONTENT EDITOR
Twitter: @MiSoccerNetwork
MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. – Nino Maniaci arrived at Madison Heights Bishop Foley a few years ago where the Ventures were a middle of the road program.
Now he departs Bishop Foley’s boys soccer program in as good of shape as it has been since the late 1990s.
Maniaci announced Monday night he was stepping down from the Ventures storied program for personal reasons. He spent six seasons at the helm and guided the program to numerous championships along the way.
“On Monday I informed the boys I would be stepping aside at Bishop Foley,” said Maniaci in a statement. “I have some opportunities I will be pursuing closer to home. I have not made my final decision on my next move but that will come in time.
“I had a good six-year run at Bishop Foley. The last three years were some of the best (teams) Foley has had in a long time,” continued Maniaci. “We won three districts in a row, made it to the regional finals in 2022 and topped it off with a state finals appearance in the fall of 2023. We won a division this past year and went to the CHSL (Cardinal Tournament) final this past fall as well.”
This past season Maniaci led the Ventures to an 18-4-1 overall record and one of its best seasons since being a state powerhouse back in the 1980s and 1990s. Under his direction, Foley won the Catholic High School League Intersectional-2 Division and reached the CHSL Cardinal Tournament finals before falling to state-ranked Grosse Pointe Woods University-Liggett (4-1).
The Ventures, who captured three straight district championships from 2021-2023, avenged that defeat in the Division 4 regional finals with a 1-0 shootout win over Liggett.
“We made a lot of history this past season. We also took back the rivalry with (Royal Oak) Shrine the last two seasons beating them four out of six times and they have not beaten Shrine in a while before (the recent run),” noted Maniaci.
Maniaci departs with a 68-41-11 record over six seasons at Foley. His final team recorded 10 shutouts and outscored the opposition 70-29 enroute to the state finals appearance. The Ventures outscored six postseason opponents 15-9 in the tournament run with two shutouts and featured many ranked opponents. The run ended with a 3-0 loss to defending champion Muskegon Western Michigan Christian (3-0) in the D-4 finals at Grand Ledge High School. This was Bishop foley’s first appearance in a state title game since winning a Division 3 state crown in 1997.
“All of this has not been possible without the boys obviously,” added Maniaci. “The buy-in and the work ethic from everyone that has entered the program was incredible and I was honored and blessed to play a small part of that success.
“When I took over the program six years ago the main goal was to put Bishop Foley back on the soccer map where it belongs and we definitely did that.”
Before arriving at Bishop Foley, Maniaci spent eight seasons (2010-2017) as an assistant coach at St. Clair Shores Lakeview. He also coached previously in the club circuit with the Eastside FC and St. Clair Shores Select.
Bishop Foley will begin a search for a candidates immediately. In 2023, Bishop Foley as a senior- and freshman-heavy team that at times started nine seniors.
Historically, Bishop Foley is a strong program, winning numerous CHSL division and tournament titles and multiple districts in boys soccer. The program also finished as the Class B state champions in 1988 and as the Class B-c state runner-up back in 1985.
The Ventures’ girls soccer program is one of the all-time greats, as Foley’s 12 state titles is the most in state history.
(Have a story suggestion for the Premier Media Group and the Michigan Soccer Network regarding club soccer, high school varsity, amateur soccer, collegiate soccer or professional soccer of teams or players with Michigan ties, contact Communications Specialist/Web and Content Editor/Director of News Dan Stickradt via email at stickradt@michigansoccernetwork.com, or call 248-884-1051. Dan Stickradt is a 31-year veteran of the Michigan Media circles and recently joined the staff full time in March of 2024. Want to schedule a broadcast game or live show, contact PMG/MSN Director of Broadcasting Jonathan Turner for availability and pricing at jonathan@michigansoccernetwork.com.)
