By Andrew McClure

68 years had passed since Louis Nannini occupied the bench on the first base side of the baseball diamond at Manhasset High School, yet he felt right at home. The 92-year-old South Setauket resident, who last coached at Manhasset in 1941, was named an honorary coach and threw out the first ball during ceremonies to dedicate the school’s new turf field before the Indians’ 4-2 win over East Rockaway on Saturday May 9.

“It’s wonderful to be back at Manhasset,” Nannini said. “I find it hard to believe that they’re making a big deal of it after all these years, but it’s very special. Rich Hess thought the theme of the day should be the past and the future. It was a good idea. It’s a little poetic.” Nannini celebrated the day with many family members, including children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Hess, who has coached baseball at Manhasset for 16 seasons and earned his 150^th victory in the win over East Rockaway, has won more games than any other coach in the program’s history. He had been carrying out extensive research on the history of Manhasset baseball when he came across Nannini in the 1940 annual.

“I saw that Mr. Nannini was a coach of baseball and basketball for two seasons, left the school for a while, and then came back,” Hess said. “I was curious as to why he stopped coaching. I contacted his son and things fell into place. It’s a great story.” 

Nannini, the son of Italian immigrants who were actually married on Ellis Island, left coaching in 1941 when he enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps intelligence division. He met his wife Kay, who passed away in 2001, in San Angelo, Texas, and served the country in the Philippines and Japan. He returned to teaching in Manhasset in 1946. He never coached again, but never lost interest.

“At every school I was associated with, I paid a great deal of attention to the athletic program,” Nannini said. “I felt it was very important to the school’s spirit and morale. I went to the games whenever I could.”

Nannini held a manila folder with a few clippings from his coaching days. One signified a victory over Sea Cliff High School on the baseball diamond. Another was not as pleasant, but it told a lot about the life lessons Nannini felt were important to pass along to his students and athletes.

“In 1941, we lost a varsity basketball game to Great Neck, a team we should have been able to beat,” Nannini said. “The team manager told me that the boys were drinking wine before the game in the locker room. I was busy coaching the JV team at the time. Oh boy! I didn’t ask the athletic director. I didn’t ask the principal. I just told the boys that they were through for the rest of the season. I felt that the players had to live up to certain standards. I dismissed all but two players.”

During his 28 years as an educator, Nannini, who earned Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees from Columbia University, was the chairman of the social studies department at Manhasset, later served as assistant principal at the school, was the first principal at Half Hollow Hills High School and was superintendent of schools at both Longwood and Brentwood. He retired in 1973.

Prior to the game with East Rockaway, Hess presented Nannini with a Manhasset baseball jersey with the number 41 to signify his last year as baseball coach. Nannini, who proudly donned the jersey throughout the game, was very appreciative of the honor.

“I have so many memories of my years at Manhasset, and they’re all positive ones, Nannini said. “I always felt that this place was special, and that there was no place that was better. It wasn’t a passing phase. I guess when you’re associated with a place like this; it’s always a part of you. It’s home.”