Summerville head coach John McKissick celebrated his 600th victory last season. He is the winningest active high school football coach heading into the 2013 season.
Photo by Douglas Rogers
The 2013 high school football season begins with many familiar names among the list of the nation's winningest active coaches. But one name you won't find is Bob Ladouceur of De La Salle (Concord, Calif.).
Winner of 399 games and owner of an incredible .937 winning percentage (399-25-3), Ladouceur stepped down after winning a fourth straight California state championship, the fifth overall in school history. He is replaced by longtime Spartan assistant coach Justin Alumbaugh.
Meanwhile, John McKissick begins his 62nd year at the helm of the Summerville Green Wave. McKissick hit a major milestone last season when he won his 600th career game with a 37-21 victory over Ashley Ridge.
Also returning for another season is George Curry, who made a triumphant return to the coaching ranks at Berwick last year with a 10-2 record. He now has 423 wins in his career, placing him seventh on the all-time list. He is back at Berwick this year, where his grandson is expected to be the starting quarterback.
Al Fracassa, No. 7 on the list with 417 wins, begins his final season with Brother Rice. He's won 417 games in more than a half century as coach at the Michigan school.
Following is a list of the top 25 active coaches with the most wins in high school history, according to the National High School Federation Record Book, the website
Football Friday Night, and the work of historian Steven A. Floyd, Corpus Christi, Texas. Each coach is listed with only his most recent coaching assignment.
Top 25 Winningest active high school football coaches601 - John McKissick,
Summerville (S.C.), 1952-2012 (601-148-13)
520 - John Curtis Jr.,
Curtis (River Ridge, La.), 1969-2012 (520-54-6)
470 - Larry Campbell,
Lincoln County (Lincolnton, Ga.), 1972-2012 (470-81-3)
437 - Mike Smith,
Hampton (Va.), 1971-2012 (437-72-2)
424 - Charles "Corky" Rogers,
Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.), 1968-2012 (424-73-1)
423 - George Curry,
Berwick (Pa.), 1967-2008, 2012 (423-95-5)
417 - Al Fracassa,
Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), 1963-2012 (417-121-7)
400 - Dick Tighe,
St. Edmond (Fort Dodge, Iowa), 1954-2012 (400-154-8)
392 - John Herrington,
Harrison (Farmington Hills, Mich.), 1970-2012 (392-88-1)
389 - Robert Hyland,
St. Mary's Springs (Fond du Lac, Wis.), 1971-2012 (389-101-2)
389 - Phil Danaher,
Calallen (Corpus Christi, Texas), 1974-2012 (389-97-4)
380 - Larry "Bud" Wright,
Sheridan (Ind.), 1968-2012 (380-166-2)
376 - Bob Milloy,
Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.), 1970-2012 (376-106-1)
372 - Jerry Pezzetti,
Ankeny (Iowa), 1960-2012 (372-142-1)
372 - Curt Bladt,
Harlan (Iowa), 1978-2012 (372-43)
371 - Jack Henzes,
Dunmore (Pa.), 1960-2012 (371-153-8)
370 - Bill Castle,
Lakeland (Fla.), 1976-2012 (370-80-0)
364 - Jim Render,
Upper St. Clair (Pa.), 1970-2012 (364-118-7)
362 - Ken Netherland,
Lausanne Collegiate (Memphis, Tenn.), 1966-2002, 2005-2010, 2012 (362-128-3)
361 - Philip Haywood,
Belfry (Ky.), 1975-2012 (361-124)
361 - Mike Boyd,
Our Lady of the Lakes (Waterford, Mich.), 1965-68, 1970-2012 (361-113-1)
360 - Bob Raczek,
Pacelli (Stevens Point, Wis.), 1967-2012 (360-165-2)
358 - C.J. Hamilton,
Silver Lake (Kan.), 1973-76, 1979-2012 (358-83)
357 - Jim Hightower,
St. Thomas More (Lafayette, La.), 1974-2012 (357-112-1)
355 - Jack Johnson,
Russell (Great Falls, Mont.), 1973-2012 (355-114-1)
