High school football: Top 50 winningest active coaches

With the retirement of Mike Smith of Hampton (Va.) and Phil Danaher of Calallen (Corpus Christi, Texas), high school football lost two of its winningest coaches ever. However, 600-game winner John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.) returns for his 54th season to top our look at the winningest active coaches.

Smith retired No. 3 in all-time coaching wins with 506, stepping down after 51 years as the head coach of the Crabbers. Danaher, the all-time wins leader in Texas, stepped down after 48 seasons with 490 wins.


Meanwhile, Gary Rankin looks to get his first win as head coach at Boyd-Buchanan (Chattanooga, Tenn.). After 16 seasons at Alcoa (Tenn.), the winningest coach in Tennessee history begins his 40th season at a new school. He ranks No. 4 among active coaches with 466 wins.

NOTE: Information on the top 50 active winningest coaches provided by historian Steven Floyd of Corpus Christi, Texas. Floyd has been researching high school football wins for over 15 years and annually provides MaxPreps with an updated list of the nation's top coaches. Top 50 Winningest Active Football Coaches

1. (last year No. 1) J.T. Curtis
School: John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.)
Record: 603-75-6
Years: 53 (1969)
State championships: 27
Last year: 5-4

2. (3) Robert Hyland
School: St. Mary's Springs (Fond du Lac, Wis.)
Record: 492-113-2
Years: 51 (1971)
State championships: 17
Last year: 11-3

3. (5) Jim Roth
School: Southern Columbia Area (Catawissa, Pa.)
Record: 471-64-2
Years: 38 (1984)
State championships: 12
Last year: 15-1

4. (7) Gary Rankin
School: Boyd-Buchanan (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
Record: 466-78-0
Years: 40 (1982)
State championships: 17
Previous schools: Smith County (1982-89), Riverdale (1990-2005), Alcoa (2006-2021)
Last year: 14-1

5. (5) Philip Haywood
School: Belfry (Ky.)
Record: 465-148-0
Years: 47 (1975)
State championships: 7
Previous schools: Prestonburg (1975-83)
Last year: 9-6

6. (8) Bill Castle
School: Lakeland (Fla.)
Record: 460-97-0
Years: 46 (1976)
State championships: 7
Last year: 9-2

7. (9) Tommy Knotts
School: Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.)
Record: 452-65-0
Years: 38 (1983-2003, 2005-active)
State championships: 13
Previous schools: Harding University (1983-88), West Charlotte (89-99), Independence (2000-03, 05-09)
Last year: 12-1

8. (9) Jerry Sinz
School: Edgar (Wis.)
Record: 448-88-0
Years: 47 (1975)
State championships: 7
Last year: 7-4

9. (11) Jim Hightower
School: St. Thomas More (Lafayette, La.)
Record: 447-133-1
Years: 47 (1975)
State championships: 4
Previous schools: Catholic Point Coupee (1975-86)
Last year: 8-5

10. (14) Larry "Bud" Wright
School: Sheridan (Ind.)
Record: 436-207-2
Years: 57 (1965)
State championships: 8
Previous schools: Mount Ayr (1965)
Last year: 7-3

11. (13) Jerry Pezzetti
School: Ankeny Centennial (Ankeny, Iowa)
Record: 435-177-1
Years: 61 (1961)
State championships: 2
Previous schools: Murray (1961), Melcher-Dallas (1962-68), Ankeny (1969-2012)
Last year: 4-6

12. (15) Randy Allen
School: Highland Park (Dallas, Texas)
Record: 424-92-6
Years: 41 (1981)
State championships: 4
Previous schools: Ballinger (1981-85), Brownwood (1986-90), Abilene Cooper (1991-98)
Last year: 10-2

13. (17) Lea "Bill" Hurst
School: Centreville Academy (Centreville, Miss.)
Record: 418-136-0
Years: 45 (1975-1994, 1997-active)
State championships: 9
Last year: 9-4

14. (18) Alan Chadwick
School: Marist (Atlanta, Ga.)
Record: 409-75-0
Years: 37 (1985)
State championships: 3
Last year: 10-2

15. (19) Dudley Hilton
School: Bell County (Pineville, Ky.)
Record: 408-129-0
Years: 44 (1974-2010, 2014-active)
State championships: 3
Previous schools: Breathitt County (1975-82), Bell County (1983-96), Bourboun County (1997-2000), Bell County (2001-10), Taylor County (2014-16)
Last year: 10-3

16. (21) Ken Leonard
School: Sacred Heart-Griffin (Springfield, Ill.)
Record: 402-81-0
Years: 41 (1980)
State championships: 5
Previous schools: Gridley (1980-83)
Last year: 12-2

17. (20) Reno Saccoccia
School: Steubenville (Ohio)
Record: 400-80-0
Years: 39 (1983)
State championships: 4
Last year: 9-3

18. (22) Ken LaChapelle
School: Northbridge (Whitinsville, Mass.)
Record: 385-119-6
Years: 46 (1976)
State championships: 10
Last year: 10-2

19. (26) Herb Brogan
School: Lumen Christi Catholic (Jackson, Mich.)
Record: 384-88-0
Years: 42 (1980)
State championships: 9
Last year: 11-2

20. (23) Gary Swenson
School: Valley (West Des Moines, Iowa)
Record: 383-118-0
Years:: 46 (1976)
State championships: 6
Previous schools: Manning (1976-78), West Marshall (1978-82), Spencer (1983-94)
Last year: 9-3

20. (23) Lewis Cook
School: Notre Dame (Crowley, La.)
Record: 383-89-0
Years: 37 (1977-80, 1985-1991, 1996-active)
State championships: 4
Previous schools: Rayne (1977-80), Crowley (1985-91, 96)
Last year: 9-3

22. (27) Dwight Lundeen
School: Becker (Minn.)
Record: 382-164-3
Years: 52 (1970)
State championships: 3
Last year: 11-1

23. (27) Mike Snyder
School: Seminole (Okla.)
Record: 380-128-0
Years: 42 (1980)
State championships: 1
Last year: 9-2

23. (29) Jeff Bellar
School: Norfolk Catholic (Norfolk, Neb.)
Record: 380-77-0
Years: 40 (1982)
State championships: 9
Previous schools: Beaver Valley (1982-84), Norfolk Catholic (1985-95), Norfolk (1996)
Last year: 11-2

23. (31) Bob Sanger
School: West Hancock (Britt, Iowa)
Record: 380-160-0
Years: 54 (1968)
State championships: 4
Previous schools: Britt (1968-88)
Last year: 13-0

26. (23) Russ Radtke
School: Knox (Ind.)
Record: 379-152-0
Years: 45 (1977)
State championships: 1
Previous schools: North Judson (1977-86), Connersville (1987-92), Griffith (1993-2011), New Prairie (2012-19), Portage (2020)
Last year: 5-7

26. (32) Bill Young
School: Catholic Memorial (Waukesha, Wis.)
Record: 379-120-0
Years: 44 (1978)
State championships: 9
Last year: 14-0

28. (30) Robbie Pruitt
School: Coffee (Douglas, Ga.)
Record: 376-94-1
Years: 38 (1984)
State championships: 7
Previous schools: University Christian, Fla. (1984-92), Union County, Fla. (1995-99), Fitzgerald (2000-02), Warner Robins (2003), Fitzgerald (2004-11)
Last year: 7-3

29. (35) Lou Marinelli
School: New Canaan (Conn.)
Record: 368-111-7
Years: 43 (1976,1979-active)
State championships: 12
Previous schools: Mamaroneck, N.Y. (1976), Yorktown, N.Y. (1979-80)
Last year: 10-2

29. (34) Chuck Kyle
School: St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio)
Record: 368-104-1
Years: 39 (1983)
State championships: 11
Last year: 8-5

31. (36) Mike Grant
School: Eden Prairie (Minn.)
Record: 367-76-0
Years: 39 (1981-86, 1989-active)
State championships: 11
Previous schools: Forest Lake (1986-86, 1989-91)
Last year: 10-2

32. (38) Jim Teague
School: Reidsville (N.C.)
Record: 366-109-0
Years: 36 (1985-2008, 2010-active)
State championships: 8
Previous schools: Eastern Alamance (1985-88), Garinger (1989-91), Reidsville (1992-2008), Danville, Va. (2010-11)
Last year: 12-1

33. (50) Ed Domsitz
School: Archbishop Alter (Kettering, Ohio)
Record: 361-163-1
Years: 45 (1976)
State championships: 2
Previous schools: Trotwood-Madison (1976-80), Archbishop Alter (1981-87), Northmont (1988-98)
Last year: 6-6

34. (39) Monte Kohler
School: O'Dea (Seattle, Wash.)
Record: 360-61-2
Years: 37 (1985)
State championships: 4
Last year: 7-3

35. (40) Bob Howard
School: Webster City (Iowa)
Record: 357-106-0
Years: 45 (1977)
State championships: 3
Previous schools: Scranton (1977-79), Sigourney-Keota (1980-2006)
Last year: 8-3

36. (42) Mike Gillin
School: Mooresville (Ind.)
Record: 351-137-0
Years: 43 (1979)
State championships: 0
Previous schools: Tri-West Hendricks (1979-1989), Decatur Central (1990-2000), Indian Creek (2001-16), Mooresville (2017-active)
Last year: 8-3

36. (42) Paul Sacco
School: St. Joseph (Hammonton, N.J.)
Record: 351-70-5
Years: 40 (1982)
State championships: 23
Last year: 9-3

38. (48) Larry French
School: Middlesboro (Ky.)
Record: 349-168-0
Years: 44 (1978)
State championships: 2
Previous schools: Mercer County (1978-88), Meade County (1989-2003), Lincoln County (2004-07), Boyle County (2008-13), Southwestern (2014-18), Middlesboro (2019-active)
Last year: 13-1

39. (45) Jim Dixon
School: Sulphur (Okla.)
Record: 346-191-0
Years: 47 (1975)
State championships: 2
Last year: 8-4

40. (44) Todd Dayton
School: Cokeville (Wyo.)
Record: 344-72-0
Years: 42 (1980)
State championships: 20
Last year: 5-4

40. (NR) Burton Cates
School: Eastern Randolph (Ramseur, N.C.)
Record: 344-127-0
Years: 38 (1984)
Last year: 10-1

42. (46) Scott Yates
School: Kent Denver (Englewood, Colo.)
Record: 342-93-0
Years: 40 (1981-1987, 1989-active)
State championships: 3
Last Year: 5-4

43. (NR) John DiBiaso
School: Catholic Memorial (West Roxbury, Mass.)
Record: 341-81-2
Previous schools: St. Patrick's (1982-87), Weston (1988-91), Everett (1992-2017)
Last year: 12-0

44. (46) Randy Baughman
School: Licking Valley (Newark, Ohio)
Record: 339-122-1
Years: 41 (1981)
State championships: 0
Previous schools: Indian Valley (1981), Licking Valley (1982-present)
Last year: 2-8

45. (NR) Bob Wolfrum
School: Wyomissing (Pa.)
Record: 337-86-1
Years: 35 (1987)
State championships: 1
Last year: 15-1

46. (NR) Kevin Clancy
School: Strath Haven (Wallingford, Pa.)
Record: 336-150-2
Previous schools: Archbishop Carroll (1981-90)
Last year: 13-2

46. (NR) Kevin Wallace
School: St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.)
Record: 336-114-0
Previous schools: Warren East (1984-93), Bowling Green (1996-2017)
Last year: 14-1

46. (NR) Ken Potter
School: Jesuit (Portland, Ore.)
Record: 336-80-0
Years: 35 (1987)
State championships: 4
Last year: 11-2

46. (NR) Joe LaBuda
School: Menominee (Mich.)
Record: 336-61-0
Years: 33
State championships: 5
Last year: 10-2

46. (NR) Terry Curtis
School: UMS-Wright Prep (Mobile, Ala.)
Record: 336-92-0
Previous schools: Shaw (1989-92), Murphy (1993-98)
Last year: 11-2