Buddy Garrity is the primary booster for the Dillon High School high school football program and lives, eats and breathes Panthers football. He is the owner of the popular local Chevy dealership and isn't shy about -- in fact, rejoices in -- personally approaching head coach Eric Taylor to influence the team. Buddy is an extremely charismatic fellow whose ideas are sometimes helpful and sometimes devastating for Taylor and the football program. He meddles not only in the business of financial support for the team, but also in decisions about which players play and who should be on the team -- including finding a hot-shot quarterback to transfer to Dillon after the team loses its star passer to a life-threatening injury. But Buddy can't help himself. His love of the team is real, as he once told Coach Taylor, You fake boosterism, Eric. It comes from the heart. Buddy is the father of popular cheerleader Lyla Garrity and has two other children, but Lyla is his pride and joy. He is divorced from his wife Pam shortly after the series begins after having an affair with Angela Collette, the mother of Tyra Collette.Buddy's ambitions are sometimes bigger than reality, and his aggressive financial decisions can sometimes backfire and get him -- and others -- in trouble.