Michael Ondich attended St Joseph’s Regional High School in Montvale, NJ from 1970-74. In 1975, as a sophomore, he joined the wrestling team with zero experience. The following year, JV football coach, Tom Dewan, took over as head coach. Tom really motivated everyone, especially Mike. He gave Mike confidence he never had before. Coach Dewan really pushed  everyone. By his senior year, Mike was one of 3 senior captains. Wrestling has made him a better father, husband, friend, coach, and advisor.

After high school, Mike attended the University of Scranton, and wrestled there for 3 years. When he graduated in 1978, he went to Palau as a missionary teacher. After 1 year, he returned to the States and attended New York University, where he received a Masters in Deaf Education. In 1980 he student-taught and coached at Midland Park High School, NJ. In 1981, Mike began to work for the NYC Board of Education as a teacher for the Deaf at JFK HS in the Bronx, where he became a volunteer coach.

In 1982, Hearing Education Services transferred Mike to Harry S Truman High School, where he remained until 2001. As their coach, and the only coach of the Truman wrestling team, his teams were able to put NYC wrestling on the map. Mike was very proud of what they achieved as a team. The following is a shortened summary of what they accomplished: Truman HS had 89 Sectional champions under his coaching; 9 State place winners, and 2 more after he left NYC and coached at Clarkstown HS North. In 2000, he set a NY State record by sending 12 wrestlers, from the same team, to the NY State Individual Wrestling Championships. In fact, that year he had 2 state place winners, which included 1 of his Deaf students. Truman won 13 NYC Dual Meet Championships from 1989-2002. 11 consecutive titles from 1992-2000. The Iron Horse Award in NYC, was given yearly, to the best athlete in each sport. Truman wrestlers were chosen for this award 8 times. Mike has received numerous coaching and teacher of the year awards - more than a dozen. But the honor he is most proud of is being named USA Wrestling’s “Man of the Year” for NY State in 1998. In 1993, Mike began taking teams on yearly international wrestling exchanges.  This changed everything for the better. His wrestlers fund-raised, wrestled harder, never missed practices, and kept their grades up. Since 1993, his teams have traveled to: Germany, Czech Republic, twice to the UK, France, 4 times to Sicily/Italy, Russia, 3 times to the Republic of Palau, 5 times to Bulgaria, and Romania. These experiences have changed his wrestler’s lives, and Mike’s life forever. Wrestling is a means of bringing people together, and the world is a better place because of these exchanges. Being a teacher/coach at Truman HS in the Bronx was one of the highlights of Mike’s life, but with an annual budget of just $150, they had to fundraise 11 months/yr. Everything required to have a successful wrestling season needed to be paid for by the team. Singlets, warmups, bus transportation, and even the reconditioning of their 20 year old wrestling mat! Every year Mike volunteered his 8th period to run a wrestling PE class with John Kozuck, a PE teacher.  It enabled them to focus on the team’s deficits and technique. In 2001, Mike started teaching at Clarkstown High School North (CHSN) after having been a teacher for the Deaf at Truman HS for 20 years. Mike coached with Tony Mellino, and his father, Tony Mellino Sr, who is a legendary coach from West Islip. At CHSN, Mike took the team on 8 international wrestling cultural exchange trips, and 2 wrestling tours of Florida. At CHSN, Tony Mellino and he accumulated a win/loss record of 113 and 102, had 38 All-Section wrestlers, 10 Section 1 Finalists, 4 Section 1 champions, 3 NY State Wild Card Qualifiers, and 2 State place winners. As a retiree, Mike is the JV coach at Honesdale High School, in Honesdale, PA. In 2019, he took that team on their first international wrestling exchange trip to Scalea, Italy. Since 2019, they have traveled to a wrestling camp in Colorado, to Italy again, and in June 2026, Mike took 39 people to Romania and Bulgaria for training, competitions, and some fun! Since coming to Honesdale in 2016, the team has won the PIAA District 2 Dual Meet title 6 times, District 2 League Tournament 5 times, and the Individual District 2 Tournament 5 times. They have won all 3 of these District 2 tournaments the past 4 straight years. Now in his 47th year of coaching, Mike has a cumulative dual meet record of 480 wins, and 167 losses, which includes the dual meet records from all 3 schools.

Mike would like to thank some people who kept him sane throughout all his years of coaching:  All his wrestlers for their love; Marty Silverberg, and John Kozuck, a PE teacher, who encouraged him when he felt like giving up; his fellow deaf and hard of hearing teachers who always cheered for him, no matter what; Captain George Serrano; his friend Mike Peters, whom he’s known since the 2nd grade. Thanks to all the coaches, wrestlers, and referees he has met, and been encouraged and motivated by: Tony Mellino, and Ryan Chulada from Honesdale -  thanks for allowing Mike to be Mike. You are all part of who Mike has become, and he hopes he is a part of who you have become. A man is nothing without his family, and Mike would  like to thank his 3 children Cassandra, Kirsten, and Michael for making him so proud to be their Dad. Mike’s father was a tremendous influence in his life. He was hard on Mike, but he wants to thank him for teaching Mike grit, determination, and the desire to succeed. He was extremely proud of Mike becoming a wrestler, and eventually, and most importantly, a coach. 

     Lastly, Mike would like to thank his wife of 41 years, Audrey, for always being there, and supporting all he tried to do regarding the sport of wrestling. She also understood what wrestling can do for a student-athlete, no matter their athletic prowess. She knows that if you have wrestled, everything else in life will seem easier.