Mike Sernoffsky has spent more than four decades shaping the sport of wrestling in Pennsylvania through his leadership, coaching, and advocacy. A native of upstate New York, Sernoffsky competed collegiately at Duke University before earning his teaching certification at Medaille College in Buffalo. After starting his coaching career as an assistant at Iroquois Central School District (1976-82), he served as associate coach at Gettysburg High School during the 1982-83 season before becoming the head coach at Elizabethtown High School in 1983. There, he would build one of the most consistent and respected programs in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Sernoffsky’s squads claimed 326 dual meet victories as head coach and an additional 24 as an assistant, totaling 350.  

Over the years, “Serno” coached hundreds of student-athletes and produced numerous champions and medalists. His teams accounted for 21 Lancaster-Lebanon League champions, 30 sectional champions, 7 District 3/SC Regional champions, and 26 PIAA tournament qualifiers. Eleven of his wrestlers earned state medals, including 1987 PIAA state champion Tom Miller, who later placed third at the NCAA Division I Tournament for the University of Maryland. Ten of Sernoffsky’s wrestlers reached the milestone of 100 career wins. His own son, Jared, carried on the family legacy with a top-four finish at the PIAA tournament.

Team accomplishments under Sernoffsky’s guidance were equally impressive. His squads qualified for the District 3 team tournament seven times, including a semifinal appearance in 1996, and they claimed one league tournament championship along with six sectional team titles. These achievements placed Elizabethtown wrestling firmly on the map in central Pennsylvania. Beyond wins and titles, Sernoffsky’s coaching philosophy emphasized sportsmanship, hard work, and personal accountability, values that have stayed with his athletes long after graduation.

Sernoffsky’s contributions have been recognized with induction into multiple halls of fame, including the Iroquois Central Athletic Hall of Fame (1996), Elizabethtown Wrestling Hall of Fame (2012), the Elizabethtown High School Athletic Hall of Fame, the District 3 Wrestling Hall of Fame (2011) and the Lancaster-Lebanon Coaches’ Hall of Fame (2022). His impact extended beyond traditional wrestling programs as he played a key role in the sanctioning of girls’ wrestling in Pennsylvania. As a member of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, he became a crucial advocate for approval of girls’ wrestling within Elizabethtown, offering countless hours of mentorship, writing letters, and working with administrators to secure opportunities for female athletes. His leadership helped Elizabethtown become one of the first schools in the state to sponsor girls’ wrestling, a milestone in the growth of the sport.

Mike Sernoffsky’s legacy is measured not just in victories but in lives shaped through wrestling. A teacher, mentor, and advocate, he has built a program that reflects both athletic achievement and educational mission. His unwavering support for athletes, his commitment to equity and opportunity, and his passion for wrestling have left an indelible mark on his community and the sport as a whole. For his lifelong dedication, both on and off the mat, Mike Sernoffsky is most deserving of induction into the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Sernoffsky still resides in Elizabethtown with his wife, Elaine, and has two adult children, a son, Jared, and daughter, Janae.