Mohrman dedicates life to Freeport

Longtime Freeport High School boys’ lacrosse coach Harry Mohrman initially tackled a professional football career before he arrived at the school he would call home for nearly six decades molding athletes well beyond the playing field. 

Mohrman, who played college football at Gettysburg College and Montana State, got an opportunity to compete on a National Football League stage with the Pittsburgh Steelers during training camp. After not making the Steelers roster Mohrman had a brief pro football career with the Newark Bears in the short-lived Atlantic Coast Football League, but eventually a teaching and coaching career in Freeport was his calling. 

“I played a little professional football and then I didn't know what I was going to do and then I got a teaching job and went into coaching,” said Mohrman, who started lengthy career at Freeport in 1966 as an assistant coach for football and lacrosse and eventually basketball while teaching physical education 

Mohrman eventually assumed the head coaching position with the Freeport boys varsity lacrosse program in 1973 around the same time the New York Knicks captured their last NBA title. The more than half-century run in Freeport has involved 335 wins, but his favorite memories as coach was seeing a number of players use their lacrosse skills as an opportunity to earn a college education. 

One of the many future college lacrosse standouts Mohrman produced include Greg Paradine, who played on the University of North Carolina’s 1991 national championship team and is now the head coach of Lenoir-Rhyne University. He also coached Chris Fiore, a UMass standout who played eight years in Major League Lacrosse and was a Freeport varsity assistant for 15 years. 

Mohrman said one of the better players he ever had the opportunity to coach was goalie Shawn Randall, who went on to be a net-minder at nearby Hofstra in the mid 1980s and is now a detective with the Freeport Police Department. Randall is one of numerous former Freeport lacrosse players mentored by Mohrman who later returned to their hometown as police officers. 

“He's dedicated his life to our program and our student athletes and has forever impacted so many kids' lives,” said Jonathan Bloom, athletic director for the Freeport School District. 

“He's helped place a lot of kids in colleges over the years and still stays in touch with a lot of the alumni.” 

The 2024 season saw Mohrman miss nearly half of the games due to surgery, but his energy remains high as his young team has battled through adversity after graduating 19 seniors from last year’s 9-7 team that was one why shy of the playoffs. 

Freeport’s lone win thus far was a 5-1 victory at Hempstead on March 26 that featured two goals by James Martini and single tallies from Anthony Pinto, Mason Santos and Joshua Corbin along with two assists by Landon Daley. The Red Devils nearly pitched a shutout led by 10 saves from  sophomore goalie Malik Groover and a close defense anchored by Tobias Fitzsimons and Curtis Ealy. 

Dr. Kishore Kuncham, Freeport’s superintendent of schools, noted that Mohrman has over the years funded many camp fees for athletes, sponsored youth teams and personally traveled to colleges to advocate for students to secure sports on collegiate teams. 

“Harry has been a cornerstone of the Freeport community, touching the lives of three generations through his unwavering dedication as a PE teacher, coach and mentor,” Kuncham said. “Far more than just a coach, Harry forged deep and lasting connections with his students, empowering them to chase and achieve their dreams well beyond the realms of high school and college athletics.” 

Mohrman, who preferred to not reveal his age, said his long run in Freeport will come to an end in the near future and stressed that the decision of whether to return is always taken on a year-to-year basis. He meets regularly with a group of former players for dinner and looks forward to establishing more bonds in the coming years while also seeking to be a catalyst for guiding them to a bright future.

“I try to help get them into college or help them go into trade schools, or whatever they want to do,” he said. "More than just winning and losing I try to teach them what life is about.”