Dino Garr has 379 wins, five state championships and one address: Rye.

The 78-year-old head coach is midway through his 51st season leading the Garnets, a tenure that has produced more victories than any other high school football coach in New York State history. His latest milestone came in December 2025, when Rye defeated Brighton 28-14 at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse to cap a 14-0 season and claim the program's fifth state title, according to MyRye.com.

Garr's 365th win during the 2025 season gave him sole possession of the state's all-time record. He then won 10 more games to finish the year as a champion.

The roots run deep. Garr was born in Mondaino, Italy, and came to Rye at age three in 1951 after his mother passed away. His aunt, Josephine Garr, adopted him.

He played halfback for the Garnets from 1964 to 1966, co-captained the baseball team and graduated from Rye High School. He and his wife, Cathy, still live on Dale Street, within walking distance of the school.

He joined the Rye coaching staff in 1973 as defensive coordinator, became head coach in 1976, left for Westlake in 1979 and returned in 1985. He has held the job ever since, also teaching social studies for 42 years until retiring from the classroom in 2012.

After the 2025 championship completed his 50th season, Garr seriously considered retirement, the Rye Record reported. He decided to come back after conversations with friends and family.

"Every season is a struggle every week," Garr told the Rye Record in a Sept. 4 season-preview interview. "We play so many good teams, kids get injured. That's the nature of the game we chose to coach and play. But last year, somehow, all our hard work, from both players and coaches, paid off."

Two of his current assistants played for him in the 1980s. Defensive coordinator Joe King has been on staff for 17 years. Assistant Tom Codispoti, who has coached alongside Garr for eight years, called him a behind-the-scenes fighter for his players.

Rye's football tradition predates Garr. Former head coach Ben Bedini went 59-5 in eight seasons during the 1950s and early 1960s, a .924 winning percentage that included two 33-game winning streaks. Both were snapped by Harrison.

After one of those losses in 1955, a Harrison player led his teammates into Blind Brook next to the field. That started the tradition of the winner jumping in after "The Game."

Garr's program broke through at the state level in 2005, beating Chenango Forks 28-7 for Rye's first championship after title-game losses to the same opponent in 2003 and 2004. Titles followed in 2007, 2008, 2023 and 2025. Rye's five championships are the most in Section 1 history.

The 2026 Garnets stand at 4-2 after a 42-14 win over Nyack on Friday, Oct. 9. Starting quarterback Charlie Brady, one of four senior captains who started on the 2025 title team, suffered an apparent leg injury in Week 3 and has been replaced by sophomore Johnny Shoemaker.

Rye hosts Harrison in "The Game" on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 1:30 p.m. at Nugent Stadium.