Howie Greenblatt has been a part of Long Island wrestling from the days of his childhood in Suffolk County through his remarkable success as one of the finest coaches in Long Island wrestling history.

He began wrestling in the Deer Park youth program and then under the guidance of Hall of Fame coach Ed Luksik at Deer Park High School. Greenblatt had a successful career as a four-year varsity starter, including runner-up and third-place finishes in the Suffolk County tournament. Tony Melosi, Ed Rooney and Bob Schwartz also coached Howie through his schoolboy years.

Greenblatt was a four-time All-State University of New York Athletic Conference wrestler for Cortland State University. He was a two-time place-winner in the New York State championships and a three-time qualifier for the NCAA Division III Championships. He continued to compete after college and was a six-time medalist in the Empire State Games.

He began his coaching career in 1986 as the junior varsity wrestling coach at MacArthur High School in Levittown, New York. Greenblatt took over the varsity in 1987, beginning an astonishing career that spanned three decades.

Greenblatt's innovative approach to wrestling would soon lift MacArthur into the elite of Nassau County wrestling programs. He scheduled his team to compete in the toughest duals and tournaments in New York State, including the Eastern States Classic and the Union-Endicott Duals (New York State Duals). MacArthur paved a new road for Nassau County, including being the only Nassau team to compete in the Beast of the East tournament.

Howie would always schedule the top dual meet teams in the state and the Northeast, including Huntington, Catholic and Suffern High Schools. He was instrumental in having New York State approve the first Varsity B team to compete during the season, helping to assure that the greatest number of athletes on the team could compete and improve through the season. It was also common for his wrestlers to stand side by side on the Nassau County tournament podium.

Greenblatt's record was an amazing 300-60-1 with seven Nassau County tournament titles, eight Nassau County dual meet championships, 17 conference titles and 17 qualifying tournaments. His 2002 team was ranked 23rd in the nation and first in New York State and on Long Island.

He coached 41 Section VIII (Nassau County) champions, 99 county place-winners, 22 New York State place winners, two New York State champions, and five of his wrestlers were high school All-Americans.

Many of Howie’s wrestlers have gone on to experience success at the collegiate level while others have become successful coaches in their own right. Greenblatt has always shared the glory with his devoted staff of assistant coaches.

The nickname Generals is appropriate as the MacArthur program is organized like a military unit. Each assistant coach has specific duties in the program while the junior high school program works as one with the high school program to produce a sweaty stream of athletes trained in the “MacArthur way.”

Greenblatt was honored as the Nassau County Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2003 and as the National High School Coaches Association's New York Coach of the Year in 2003.

Howie's committment to be the best has led him to the pinnacle of wrestling as both a coach and mentor, and he is a worthy recipient of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Lifetime Servcie to Wrestling award.