Lindenhurst football coach Nick Lombardo is retiring

Lindenhurst football coach Nick Lombardo has announced his retirement from the position he has held for the past 15 years.

Lombardo, 57, who led Lindenhurst to two Long Island titles and coached Jets tight end Jeremy Ruckert, cited health concerns as the reason for his decision.

“I was injured on the sidelines in the third week of last season,” Lombardo said Friday. “A player was tackled out of bounds, rolled onto my left leg and knocked me down. Postseason meniscus and ACL knee surgery went well, but pain during rehab came from other areas. I had an MRI which revealed serious back problems. My pain doctor will not clear me to return to training. I can’t anymore. It’s not how I envisioned my last year as a coach.”

The district posted the job Thursday and will interview candidates to replace Lombardo early next week.

Lombardo, a business teacher in the district since 1996, had previously announced he would coach one more season in 2024.

“It’s devastating because all I ever wanted to do was coach kids and give them positive life experiences,” he said. “But this has become a quality of life issue. I couldn’t move my left leg without back pain and I had several epidurals.”

Lombardo led the Bulldogs to the 2017 Class I title with a 40-23 win over Oceanside. He then guided them to the Class II crown in 2019 with a 14-13 win over Garden City. He was named All-Long Island Coach of the Year by Newsday, and the Bulldogs won the Rutgers Trophy, which is presented to Suffolk’s top team, in 2019. That 2019 LIC win has become more meaningful over time because it is the last time Garden City lost. a football match. Since then, they have won 42 straight games and three LI titles.

“I’ve known Nick for 36 years, since we were 10 years old in the Bulldogs youth program,” Lindenhurst assistant football coach Mark Frole said. “He’s been a phenomenal mentor and coach my whole life. And as I moved into the teaching and coaching profession, he became more than a friend, he became family. We’re a very tight-knit community, and he’s been a fixture here in Lindenhurst.”

Lombardo, who graduated from Lindenhurst in 1985, led the program to division titles in 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2019. He compiled a career record of 103-44 with a .701 winning percentage.

“I haven’t been back to work in the classroom since the end of November,” Lombardo said. “I’m on workers’ compensation.”

Opening day of the football season is Monday, and according to Frole, practices are scheduled as the search for a new head coach begins.

“It’s a terrible way to end my coaching career,” Lombardo said. “I have enjoyed coaching so many great kids over the years. I can’t complete what I’ve loved for 30 years on the sidelines.”

Anthony Amesti, director of athletics for the Lindenhurst Union Free School District, could not be reached for comment.

With Andy Slawson

Gregg Sarra is Newsday’s high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.