Takedown Report

Mike Milkovich, 96, Hall of Fame wrestling coach, won historic libel ruling

Editor’s Notes; Coach Milkovich had a tremendous impact on our sport not only at the school district that hired him but also in Northeast Ohio, then the state and nationwide. By creating and coaching an excellent team he raised the bar for other programs and that led to the rise of other strong programs and youth wrestling and many All-American wrestlers from Ohio. I had the good fortune to meet Coach Milkovich once years after he coached as he attended an open tournament. He brought about many creative ways to build interest in the sport.
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MAPLE HEIGHTS, Ohio – The King of Ohio high school wrestling died Monday at age 96.
Mike Milkovich, the patriarch of a powerhouse wrestling family and program as the great Maple Heights High School coach for 27 years, passed away from what doctors said was complications from pneumonia and old age.
Milkovich was a charter member of the Ohio Wrestling Hall of Fame and also one of the few high school coaches elected to the Helms National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. From 1949 to 1977, he coached the Mustangs to 16 undefeated seasons, 10 state championships, nine state runner-up finishes and had 37 individual state champions. His teams’ overall record in dual meets was 262-25-2 (a .912 winning percentage). All were state records at the time he retired in 1977. Milkovich also guided the Mustangs to a record 103 consecutive dual meet victories from 1963-72 (still a record). “I’m proud of those winning streaks because we’ve taken on all comers,” Milkovich said in 1977. “It’s not my nature to back away from tough teams.” More than 3,000 fans packed the Maple Heights gym for Milkovich’s final match in 1977, at which he wore his trademark long-sleeve red shirt.
“I’m getting old and tired,” he said then. “It’s time for the younger generation to take over. But wrestling will always be in my blood. It’s been my whole life.”
While the records speak for themselves, Milkovich’s nephew, Jamie Milkovich – the current Maple Heights coach – said his uncle’s legacy was heightened as a promoter of the sport.
“He was the first coach to wrestle dual meets at night, which attracted sellout crowds at our school,” Jamie Milkovich said. “He also had cheerleaders and mat maids at our matches, formed a huge booster club and made sure we got coverage in newspapers.”
Jamie Milkovich was Mike’s last state champ in 1977 at 145 pounds. Coincidentally, his first state champ was Jamie’s father Paul in 1949.
Mike Milkovich was a 145-pound state champion for Garfield Heights High in 1941, and he helped the Bulldogs win the state team title.
A key to Milkovich’s powerful teams was his establishment of junior high wrestling programs, where wrestlers could come to Maple Heights already knowing basic wrestling. Fittingly, Maple Heights named a new middle school for Milkovich in 2009. He was also the first coach in Ohio to have a summer wrestling camp in 1970.
“My uncle was a very good technician,” Jamie Milkovich said, “but he was a master motivator. He could reach kids who were not involved in any school activities and make them outstanding wrestlers.”
Rest of the story at https://www.cleveland.com/sports/index.ssf/2018/09/mike_milkovich_96_hall_of_fame.html?mc_cid=d7b6a980b9&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
and from the Wrestling Hall of Fame at https://nwhof.org/blog/distinguished-member-mike-milkovich-passes-away/?mc_cid=2192a385d4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

September 9, 2018 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized