Nicholas J. Mogavero
Nick Mogavero was born and raised on Buffalo’s West Side. He graduated from Grover Cleveland H.S., where he played football and baseball. Following the footsteps of his late father llluminato “Lemmy” Mogavero, a Physical Education major and graduale of Columbia U. in Manhattan, Nick enrolled in the Health, Physical Education and Recreation program at the University of Buffalo. While at UB he attained a BA and MA degree in Education in the H.P.E.R. program in 1 959. Mogavero then joined the Bennett H.S. Physical Education staff in 1960, where he taught and coached until December of 1970. In January of 1971 Mogavero became a Supervisor in the Physical Education Dept. at City Hall, and later Director of Health Education for the city schools.
During his 10 1 /2 years at Bennett, Nick coached football, basketball and baseball. Coach Mogavero’s football teams had a cumulative record of 48 wins, 1 8 losses and 3 ties. The highlight was the 1 968 “Harvard Cup” champion team. This team
arguably ranks among the best squads in city school history, recording 7 shutouts in 8 games that season.Coach Mogavero fondly recalls some of the many stars of that team, including Joe Alexander, David White, Owen Tober and Kenny Lidge. Mogavero’s teams were always representative and competitive. His basketball teams of 1 961 to 1964 all made it to the Board of Education Playoffs. His baseball teams from 1960 to 1970 were also very competitive. Coach Mogavero will always be remembered as an innovative, tough and fair coach. Mogavero said, “I never had to cut a player in football. I ran long, hard practices, and they cut themselves.” Mogavero always put the “kids” (athletes) welfare and interest above all else, always taking the “high road”. Many of his former athletes describe Coach Mogavero as a coach and a father.
Mogavero is retired and lives in Buffalo. He is the proud father of 5 wonderful children, three of whom are employed in the Buffalo school distrct (Lemmy, Nick Jr. and Mike).