Misko, Tony

Tony Misko – (1997)

 

They used to call Tony Misko “tough,” a “hardnose,” terms that describe him as a football coach from his debut as a Lorain High School assistant under Head Coach Art Lave in 1949 through his own term as head coach of LHS in 1960 and as Admiral King High School’s first head football coach (1961-63).

Actually, as things turned out, those were words of endearment, most notably because he was highly respected for his concern about his gridders’ welfare. Just how much was apparent when he retired as AKHS head coach in 1964. Some 60 football players who toiled under Misko’s 15 years of gridiron tutelage at both high schools gathered at Holiday Inn in Elyria to pay him homage at an appreciation dinner.

The list of his ex-players—from his 15 years as an assistant and head coach in Lorain—who gathered that night reads like a Who’s Who of Lorain’s very best, a group any Big Ten coach would give a dozen scholarships to lure them to their school. Several are already enshrined in the Lorain Sports Hall of Fame: Bill Van Buren (1977), Wells Gray (1979), present LSHOF President Carl Hartman (1980), the late Don Fritz (1981), George Belu and Don Downing (both 1982), Jay Hershey (1986), Jim Dick (1988), Dan Jones (1989), Jerry Novak (1996), and the late Gary Krause (an enshrinee with him tonight).

Other gridders touched by the Misko magic who are now Hall of Famers are Bill Karpinski (1985), who also excelled in baseball and basketball, Jimmy Moon (1981), a boxer extraordinaire who was a kick return specialist in football, Stan Godlewski (1994) and Bob Tomaszewski (1993).

That doesn’t even include the many baseball players who Misko coached at both LHS and AKHS, not to mention the entire 1952 LHS football team who are LSHOF enshrinees. Misko is quick to remind that “I coached the line. Art (Lave) coached the backs when I was his assistant.”

Perhaps his finest football team as head coach was the 1962 Admirals, led by All-Ohio fullback Joe Kozar, who recorded a 9-1 season, losing out on an undefeated season and the Buckeye Conference title by bowing to undefeated Sandusky.

To say Tony Misko had an impact on Lorain’s high school and sandlot baseball history in the late 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s would be an understatement of the first magnitude. Lave would be the first to admit Misko played a major role in his success as LHS head coach until he stepped down in 1959.

Misko achieved his own athletic recognition in Yorkville, Ohio, where he was born March 29, 1922, earning four football letters (he was an all-county lineman and team captain) and two each in basketball and baseball at Yorkville High School. He was a guard and tackle in football and a pitcher on the baseball team. Tony was class president his junior and senior years, graduating in 1940. He moved on to Kent State University where World War II interrupted his education with 39 months of Army duty, including service in Europe with the 87th Division. He was awarded the Bronze Star and reached the rank of master sergeant.

Following his military stint, Misko returned to KSU, earning his BS Degree in 1946, MA Degree in 1955 and his doctorate (Ph. D.) in 1978. When he wasn’t in class, he earned two letters in football and he lettered in baseball his sophomore year. Tony then earned his second M.A. at West Virginia. Upon moving into the Clearview school district, he served 10 years on the Clearview Board of Education and currently continues to teach at the Cuyahoga County Community College, Parma Branch.

While football most often draws the widest attention, Misko enjoyed an outstanding career as head baseball coach at LHS (1950-61) and AKHS (1962-63). Lorain High won three Buckeye Conference championships under him and was 1957 state Class A runner-up, losing the championship game to Reading (near Dayton) and their All-Ohio pitcher Claude Osteen who went on to fashion a brilliant major league career with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Tony’s LSHOF baseball line-up of former players is also extensive, including Hartman, Hershey, Jones, Karpinski, Steve Bailey (1978), Lorain’s recreation director who played major league ball with the Cleveland Indians, Dale Reichert (1979), Del Bastock (1984), Bill Fazekas (1985), Tom Nickoloff (1989), Ken Farschman (1994), Tom McConihe (1995) and Ron Bobel (also being enshrined tonight).

Lest it be overlooked among his high school accomplishments, Misko also coached a Lorain Youth Center sandlot baseball team to the 1955 Hot Stove League Class D Championship. Misko’s personal interests include industrial arts and history, and his hobbies range from stamp collecting to geography.

Misko and his wife, Jean, have three children: daughter Tana Waller, in Amherst, and sons David, in Seattle, and Glenn, at home.