60.0°,
Mostly Cloudy Beloved South Side High School mentor enshrined
Former Coach Mike Davey is inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
Former South Side High School wrestling coach Mike Davey was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the Melville Marriott on April 29.
Davey, who coached the Cyclones for 35 years, was a second-generation member of a respected wrestling family that included three of his uncles and his father, Ed, all of whom wrestled for Valley Stream Central High School. Davey has devoted his life to the sport.
“It’s a very huge honor,” he said. “I’ve been getting calls and messages from all over. I’m very grateful.”
A former wrestler at Calhoun High School and SUNY-Cortland, Davey helped establish the South Side wrestling team as one of Nassau County’s best. His squads won more than 200 dual meets and captured six league championships during his coaching tenure, from 1972 to 2007.
“It’s his passion,” said Carol Roseto, South Side’s athletic director, adding of the induction, “This is long overdue and well-deserved.”
Barry Bresky, a friend of Davey’s and his assistant coach for more than 20 years, also offered his praise. “It’s great, and he deserves it,” Bresky said of the induction. “Mike was a mentor, an inspiration and a father figure for the kids who didn’t have one at South Side.”
Davey coached 40 wrestlers who earned All-County honors. He also produced five county champions, four of whom became All-State wrestlers.
Friends say Davey tried to stick to a lifestyle free of drinking and smoking, and passed that sense of discipline on to his wrestlers. “He was strict,” Bresky said, “but he was a dedicated and caring teacher who looked out for his [wrestlers].”
Davey helped to institute pre-teen wrestling programs for children from five schools in the community, and created the Cyclone Wrestling Club for junior and senior high school students. He also became a member of the South Side Hall of Fame in 2007.
As a special side project, he published two books about South Side wrestling, along with a book of statistics on wrestling in Nassau County.
Davey’s fame even extends to Hollywood. In the 2011 movie “Win Win,” starring Paul Giamatti, he played the part of a wrestling referee. “I just happened to be in the right place at the right time …” Davey said of his film appearance. “I’ve been very lucky.”
