Hall of Fame

Dennis Fries HOF 2022 Headshot

Dennis Fries

  • Class
    2022
  • Induction
    2022
  • Sport(s)
    Administrator
Dennis “Denny” Fries has been a well-respected administrator across the state for more than five decades and had a significant role in helping progress Section V athletics. He impacted NYSPHSAA and the Section V membership in numerous ways including working with NYSPHSAA staff to initiate the first ever concussion management program in 2005. This program was the foundation for the New York State Concussion Management Law that was passed in 2011 and is used across the state today. Additionally, when NYSPHSAA introduced Unified Sports to its membership, Fries chaired the Section V Unified Basketball program to develop just the second Unified Sports pilot program in the state (2015), which now has 26 teams. Just three years later, he initiated the first and only Modified Unified Basketball program in the state which many sections are modeling today. He retired in 2006 after 39 years in West Irondequoit CSD; 13 years as Assistant Athletic Director and 23 as the Director of Physical Education and Athletics. His 40th year of education came as an interim athletic director in 2011-12 in Churchville Chili CSD. During his career, he coached six different sports and served Section V as President (2000-2002).  Fries also has been the Executive Director of the Monroe County Public School Athletic Conference for the past 26 years. With affiliated organizations, he was President of the New York State Athletic Administrators Association (NYSAAA) in 1996-1997 and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) in 2005, and is currently the NYSAAA liaison to NIAAA. Between 2015-2018, he was in inducted into the Section V Football Hall of Fame, the Section V Executive Hall of Fame, NYSAAA Hall of Fame, the NIAAA Hall of Fame and the Cortland C-Club Hall of Fame. He was a student-athlete at Arcade Central School (Section V) prior to graduating in 1963 then went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in physical education at SUNY Cortland in 1967. Dennis received his CAS and SDA from SUNY Brockport in 1976 and 1980, respectively.