Although Gary Mims grew up in Freeport, he moved to Massapequa in 1963 as an 11th-grade student and wrestled for Hall of Famer Al Bevilacqua.

Gary also participated in football and lacrosse. In his senior year he was elected captain of the wrestling and lacrosse teams, earning all-league honors in both sports.

After graduation, he attended CW Post College on a partial lacrosse scholarship. He participated in wrestling as well as lacrosse for the Pioneers. He returned to CW Post and earned his master's degree in 1975.

He transferred the following year to Yankton University in South Dakota and received his bachelor's degree in education. He wrestled at Yankton, captaining the team as a senior while winning a conference title and helping the Greyhounds win the conference team champpionship.

After graduation he returned to Massapequa serving as a substitute teacher and part-time wrestling coach. In 1969 he became a certified physical education teacher and coach in one of the elementary schools while continuing to coach the wrestling team until 2006.

He led his teams to 291 dual meet victories with 161 qualifying champions, 66 team tournament titles, 28 Section VIII champions, three New York state champions, six Section VIII team dual meet championships, and eight Section VIII tournament team championships.

But there is more to Gary’s coaching than a long tenure and a successful record.

Massapequa wrestling alumnus, James P. O’Rourke (Class of 1977) offers this eloquent testimony.

“Every athlete who Gary coached will tell you that the lessons he t aught went far beyond the sport itself. He taught ‘life lessons’ in attempt to prepare all of us for the world in which we would be competing. The consistent lessons included hard work, sacrifice, discipline, persistence, humility, respect, the right way and the wrong way to be competitive, the right and the wrong way to treat our family members, and teachers, and he always stressed the importance of academics. As Gary watched his student athletes graduate and go on to succeed in a variety of endeavors through the application of these lessons, he stressed these lessons even ore enthusiastically. And these lessons were reinforced by the example that he set."

Gary’s loves other than wrestling are golf and his long relationship with the Town of Oyster Bay as a lifeguard and captain. He began by serving as a lifeguard under Hall of Fame wrestling coach Doppy Doherty in 1963. In 1991, Gary was appointed South Shore Coordinator of Lifeguards, and he continues as captain of lifeguards at the beautiful Tobay Beach.

Massapequa High School celebrated its 50th Anniversary of high school wrestling in 2005-06 season. The program has been blessed to have only three coaches during its history, , providing continuity and sustained competitiveness.

Gary has been involved with Massapequa Wrestling for 43 of those years, beginning as a wrestler, continuing as an assistant coach and, for the last 28 years, as the head coach.

Gary served many years as president of the Nassau County Wrestling Coaches Association.