BERWICK, Pa. — Veteran coach George Curry started with a short whistle blast and a smile but was fighting back tears by the time he finished announcing his resignation Tuesday as coach of the Bulldogs.

"I just finished my 35th year as coach," said Curry, 60, whose 387 victories were the most ever by a Pennsylvania high school coach. "It's a long time at any job, I don't care who it is, it's a long time."

Curry told reporters, assistants, players and others gathered in the Crispin Field field house he decided a year ago to make this season his last at Berwick. He teared up telling about junior high players who showed up at his house Monday night with a petition urging him to stay.

After taking his first head coaching job at Lake-Lehman in 1967, Curry started in 1971 at Berwick, where he posted a 362-74-3 record and won a record six PIAA championships.

The Bulldogs dominated during the 1980s and 1990s, winning 235 of 267 games, and were named the mythical national champions three times by USA Today. Curry acknowledged his teams slipped this decade, posting a 55-16 record through six seasons.

For only the second time in 19 seasons, Berwick isn't in a postseason game this year.

Curry kicked two players off the team two weeks ago for an undisclosed violation of team policy, and last week, four seniors who missed practice quit after declining an undisclosed punishment.

Defeated by Hazleton 9-8, the Bulldogs failed to qualify for the PIAA Class AAA playoffs, and Curry declined a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Curry was diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago, but has received favorable medical checkups since then.

He noted rumors about other jobs, but said he would turn down offers from two Harrisburg-area schools he didn't name.

"Right now, I consider myself a retiree from the game of football," Curry said, though he didn't shut the door on future coaching jobs.

"Right now, I'm just going to sit back and not worry about that," Curry said. "If the right job comes along someday, I might take it. I love football."