Nassau County Chairman Ready to Retire After Reaching Milestone

The Nassau county wrestling coordinator, and also the Jericho athletic director named John Mankowich, will be retiring at the end of this school year. He has been on the nassau committee for many years, marking the end of an era for him. He is retiring after achieving a huge milestone. He will be greatly missed.

John Mankowich played a big role in wrestling for students who played wrestling in Nassau county. There was growth, and development. While he was the leader, the percentage of students who participated in the sport skyrocketed. Nassau County achieved lots of success at the state and national level, which is a huge accomplishment. Mankowiches efforts to be an advocate for student achievement, help grow programs and facilities, and improve training for the future has left a huge impact on the wrestling community. Mankowichs retirement is important because he is going to be spending more quality time with his family. “He’s the glue of our organization,” Long Beach coach Ray Adams said. “It’s a tireless job and the work that he’s done has been unbelievable. In terms of planning and implementing certain things and running the county tournament ... His leadership skills are gonna be missed.”

Mankowich helped young children in Nassau county, who were interested in wrestling, have access to more training. He helped develop youth programs, wanting to make sure that young wrestlers have the opportunity to practice and train at an early age. With him being in charge, he also helped secure funding for new and improved equipment.

While he was still unsure about retiring, John Mankowich expressed empathy and passion about the sport. “Wrestling has always been more than just a competition—it’s about discipline, teamwork, and personal growth,” he said. “I’m proud of what we’ve built here in Nassau County, and I know the future of wrestling is in good hands.”

Colleagues respect and praise him for being so attentive to the sport and the children. One of his best achievements was him being able to expand Nassau county's wrestling championships. The event grew and the top talent in the state of New York became interested in the program. This also led to more participation in female wrestlers, which is super impressive to do.

Who will replace John Mankowich? That's the million dollar question. It is still unknown. Many people involved in the wrestling community are eager and curious to know who will take his spot. Even though he is retiring, he has expressed that he will always be interested in wrestling. “I may be stepping away from the administrative side, but wrestling will always be a part of my life,” he said.

With him leaving, Nassau County will be facing a new chapter. The people who were lucky enough to have the opportunity to work with him will remember his work ethic and passion and most importantly, his impact will always be remembered and felt. “The foundation he built will support Nassau wrestling for years to come.”