The Massapequa School District welcomes seasoned athletic director Matt McLees as its interim director of physical education, health, athletics and recreation for the 2025-2026 school year. He recently retired from the Sewanhaka Central High School District, where he spent 35 years as a teacher, coach and administrator.
Mr. McLees began his career as a physical education teacher at H. Frank Carey High School in Franklin Square in 1990. He was the varsity football coach for 16 years and his 76 wins in the regular season and postseason made him the school’s winningest coach. In 2007, he became Carey’s athletic director before assuming the role on a districtwide basis nine years later, overseeing physical education, health and athletic programs at Sewanhaka’s five junior-senior high schools, as well as driver education.
His involvement in athletics extended beyond the district and throughout Nassau County, serving two years as president of Section VIII’s high school association and two years as president of its athletic council, the overall governing body. Presently, Mr. McLees is the vice president for boys athletics, and sits on the executive, safety and sportsmanship committees. He also was president of the Nassau County Football Coaches Association for two years.
Mr. McLees became the first athletic director in Nassau County to earn the Certified Master Athletic Administrator designation from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. In 2024, he was inducted into the Nassau County High School Athletics Hall of Fame.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Southern Connecticut State University, a master’s degree in physical education from East Carolina University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Dowling College.
In Massapequa, he will oversee the district’s physical education and health education programs, interscholastic athletics at Massapequa High School and Berner Middle School, and the summer recreation program and sports skills camps. What drew him to Massapequa is not only its reputation for winning athletic teams, but about the district’s commitment to producing well-rounded athletes.
“What’s most impressive about Massapequa is its high academic standards and achievement, and the athletic program is a reflection of that,” he said. “I have an immense amount of respect and admiration for Massapequa, the community, the schools and their athletic program. They win. The rate of success is off the charts, and it’s in almost every sport, boys and girls.”
Mr. McLees added that is goal is to bring his experience as an athletic program leader to be a resource for Massapequa’s coaches, teachers and students, and ensure they have what they need to continue to be successful.