MaxPreps has the 2009 prep football season covered from A to Z, including the nation's best active coaches.
A – Marijon Ancich, St. Paul, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., 1961-2005, 2009: Retired for the past three seasons, Ancich returns to coach St. Paul this year to build on his California state record of 344 wins that he shares with Bob Ladouceur of De La Salle (see letter L). Ancich has coached at St. Paul two other times, from 1961 to 1981 and 1993 to 2005. He also coached at Tustin from 1984 to 1992. His career record is 344-123-4.
B – Dick Basham, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wis., 1970-2009: The all-time winningest coach in Wisconsin history, Basham has led the Hilltoppers of Marquette University since 1970 and has accumulated 338 wins against just 87 defeats. Basham has also won six state championships.
C - J.T. Curtis Sr., John Curtis, River Ridge, La, 1969-2009: The nation’s second all-time winningest coach, J.T. Curtis has reportedly won 471 games and lost just 48 (with six ties) since he began coaching in 1969. He’s won 23 state titles during that span including five in a row heading into the 2009 season.
D – Jim Drewry, Booneville, Miss., 1958-86, 1989-2009: The National High School Coaches Association coach of the year in 2008, Drewry has piled up 333 wins against 156 losses and five ties in his 49 years of coaching in Booneville.
E – Steve Edwards, Glenpool, Okla., 1996-2009: Edwards enters his 14th season with the Warriors, who will try to repeat as 4A state championship in Oklahoma this year. Edwards is 117-43 since 1996 including 14-0 last year.
F – Al Fracassa, Brother Rice, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., 1963-2009: Fracassa retired from teaching 10 years ago, but he’s still coaching the Brother Rice Warriors, beginning his 40th year at the helm of the program and his 53rd year in coaching. The all-time winningest coach in Michigan state history, Fracassa is 381-102-7 overall with eight state titles and 12 Catholic League championships. He was also the NFL High School Coach of the Year in 1997.
G – Mike Glaser, St. Xavier, Louisville, Kent., 1974-2009: Glaser will be going for his 300th career win this year as he stands at 296-64 after posting a 12-1 record last year. He’s also won seven state championships since 1974.
H – John Herrington, Harrison, Farmington Hills, Mich., 1970-2009: Harrison of Farmington Hills has known only one coach in its 40-year history and that’s John Herrington. He’s won 355 games and lost just 82 with one tie. He also has a state best 12 state championships.
I – John Ivlow, Bolingbrook, Ill., 2002-09: A former NFL running back with the Denver Broncos, Ivlow has become one of the top coaches in Illinois as leader of the Bolinbrook Raiders. A police officer during the day, Ivlow coaches the Raiders in the evening and led Bolingbrook to a 10-1 record in 2008. The Raiders have averaged nine wins a year for the past four seasons.
J – Jack Johnson, C.M. Russell, Great Falls, Mont., 1973-2009: Johnson has posted 325 wins in his 36 seasons at CM Russell in Great Falls (325-98-1). He is also tied for the most state championships in state history with 10.
K – Chuck Kyle, St. Ignatius, Cleveland, Ohio, 1982-2009: In his 26 years at the helm of the St. Ignatius squad and has amassed a record of 262-58-1 with 10 state championships and three national championships. He also coached USA to first place in the inaugural Junior World Championship football tournament this summer.
Bob Ladouceur, De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)
Dennis Lee
Tied with Ancich as the winningest coach in California history, Ladouceur has one of the best winning percentages of any coach in the nation at 344-21-3 (93.9 percent). His team has been ranked No. 1 in the state 13 times and No. 1 in the nation six times. Also coached the Spartans to 151 straight victories.
M – John McKissick, Summerville, S.C., 1952-2009: Entering his 58th season at Summerville, McKissick has nearly 100 more wins the nation’s second winningest coach, JT Curtis. He has a career record of 565-133-13. He’s won 10 state championships with the Green Wave and was named to the National High School Hall of Fame in 1990.
N – Ken Netherland, St. George’s Independent School, Collierville, Tenn., 1966-2009: Netherland has coached at several schools in Tennessee, most recently St. George’s Independent School. He’s the second winningest coach in Tennessee, the winningest active coach in the state, with 342 wins to go with 124 losses and three ties.
O – Vincent O’Connor, St. Francis, Fresh Meadows, N.Y., 1953-2009: O’Connor begins his 56th year with St. Francis Prep where he has won 317 games with 152 losses and 11 ties. He’ll be honored by the Frank McGuire Foundation this year.
P – Victor Paternostro, Pope John XXIII, Sparta, N.J., 1968-2009: Paternostro is the second winningest coach in New Jersey history behind only recently retired Warren Wolf of Brick Township with a record of 356-66-5 at Pope John XXIII. He has coached 20 state championship teams in 42 years at the school.
Q – George Quarles, Maryville, Tenn., 1999-2009: Quarles has one of the most impressive records in the country over the past 10 seasons. He is 137-10 in his career at Maryville with seven state titles and a 74-game win streak. In his last 100 games, his record is 98-2.
R – Charles "Corky" Rogers, The Bolles School, Jacksonville, Fla., 1968-2009: Rogers had one of his best teams ever in 2008, and that’s saying something since the longtime coach has a career mark of 375-68-1. The Bulldogs were 14-0 last year with a 2A state championship. He’s led Bolles to eight state championships.
S – Mike Smith, Hampton Va., 1971-2009: Smith is just one of seven coaches in national history with 400 wins. He picked up his 400th victory last year in a 35-0 win over Indian River. In his 38 years at Hampton, Smith is 400-60-2. His Crabbers were ranked No. 1 in the nation in 1996 and 1997.
Hampton's Mike Smith is showered after his 400th victory last season.
Photo by Matt Merciez
T – Dick Tighe, St. Edmond, Fort Dodge, Iowa, 1954-2009: Tighe is the winningest coach in Iowa history, racking up 372 wins (372-141-8) with four different schools during his 55 years on the gridiron. .
U – Elliot Uzelac, St. Joseph, Mich., 2006-09: He’s only been coaching three years at the high school level with St. Joseph’s, but he has turned the program into one of the best in the state. After the Bears went 0-9 in 2005, Uzelac took over and led the team to records of 6-5, 12-1 and 10-1 the past three seasons. He’s had much longer stints at the college level, coaching at Western Michigan in the 70’s and Navy during the 1980s. The Michigan state coach of the year in 2007, Uzelac has also coached in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns.
V – Howie Vogts, Bethpage, N.Y., 1953-2009: A veteran of 56 seasons, Vogts is the all-time wins leader in New York and has held the record for nearly 10 years. His team went 10-2 last year to up his career mark to 361-118-10.
W – Rod Wotton, St. Thomas Aquinas, Dover, N.H., 1963-2009: No New England coach has won more games than Wotton, who is 331-70-3 in 47 years of coaching. He won 220 games at Marshwood in Maine and 11 at South Berwick. His teams have won 21 state titles.
X – MaxPreps does not have any coaches in its database with a last name beginning with an X.
Y – Mike Young, Wheeling Central Catholic, W.V., 1997-2009: Young will be looking for his 100th career win when Wheeling Central Catholic opens its season this year. He has a career mark of 99-47, but Young is 48-7 at Central Catholic. He has guided his team to four straight state titles between 2004- and 2007 including back-to-back 28-0 seasons.
Z – Mike Zmijanac, Aliquippa, Penn., 1997-2009: Although he has coached in some capacity for the Quips for close to 40 years, Zmijanac has been the head coach the past 12 seasons. He’s posted an impressive record of 124-24 during that span with a state title and three WPIAL championships.
