High school football: JT Curtis closing in on 600 wins, leads top 50 winningest active coaches

Sometime in September, the 600-win club among high school football coaches will double in size. John T. Curtis of John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.) enters the 2021 season with 598 wins after going 5-5 last year. With two wins, he will join the late John McKissick of Summerville (S.C.), who retired in 2014 with 620 wins.

Aside from McKissick and Curtis, no other high school coach has ever won 500 games. That should change this year as Mike Smith of Hampton (Va.), No. 3 all-time in wins, needs three wins to reach that plateau. After going 3-2 last year in a shortened season due to COVID, Smith enters the 2021 season with 497 victories.

Curtis and Smith top MaxPreps' annual look at the Top 50 winningest active high school football coaches. Another coach on the verge of a milestone is Alan Chadwick of Marist (Atlanta). After going 13-0 last year and winning a state championship, Chadwick enters the 2021 season with 399 wins. Dudley Hilton of Bell County (Ky.) is right behind with 398 wins.

Among coaches on last year's list who retired after the 2020 season are David Gentry of Murphy (NC) with 424 wins, and Ricky Black of Jackson Prep (Jackson, Miss.) with 400 wins.

One coach who continues to move quickly up the all-time list is Jim Roth of Southern Columbia Area (Catawissa, Pa.). With a 12-0 season last year, Roth now has 456 career wins — tied with Phillip Haywood of Belfry (Ky.). Roth's team has won 59 straight games and enters the 2021 season with the nation's second-longest win streak behind Caledonia (Minn.) with 70.

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. John T. Curtis
School: John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.)
Record: 598-71-6
All-time rank: 2
Years: 52 (1969)
State Championships: 27
Last Year: 5-5

2. Mike Smith
School: Hampton (Va.)
Record: 497-95-2
All-time rank: 3
Years: 50 (1971)
State Championships: 12
Last Year: 3-2

3. Robert Hyland
School: St. Mary's Springs (Fond du Lac, Wis.)
Record: 481-110-2
All-time rank: 4
Years: 50 (1971)
State Championships: 17
Last Year: 4-3

4. Phil Danaher
School: Calallen (Corpus Christi, Texas)
Record: 480-116-4
All-time rank: 5
Years: 47 (1974)
State Championships: 0
Other schools: Dilley (1974-77), Hamshire-Fannett (1978-84)
Last Year: 10-3

5. (tie) Jim Roth
School: Southern Columbia Area (Catawissa, Pa.)
Record: 456-63-2
All-time rank: 8 (tie)
Years: 37 (1984)
State Championships: 11
Last Year: 12-0

5. (tie) Phillip Haywood
School: Belfry (Ky.)
Record: 456-142-0
All-time rank: 8 (tie)
Years: 46 (1975)
State Championships: 6
Other schools: Prestonburg (1975-83)
Last Year: 7-4

7. Gary Rankin
School: Alcoa (Tenn.)
Record: 453-77-0
All-time rank: 11
Years: 39 (1982)
State Championships: 16
Other schools: Smith County (1982-89), Riverdale (1990-2005)
Last Year: 14-1

8. Bill Castle
School: Lakeland (Fla.)
Record: 451-95-0
All-time rank: 12
Years: 45 (1976)
State Championships: 7
Last Year: 6-4

9. (tie) Tommy Knotts
School: Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.)
Record: 440-64-0
All-time rank: 14 (tie)
Years: 37 (1983-2003, 2005-active)
State Championships: 12
Other schools: Harding University (1983-88), West Charlotte (89-99), Independence (2000-03, 05-09)
Last Year: 10-0

9. (tie) Jerry Sinz
School: Edgar (Wis.)
Record: 440-85-0
All-time rank: 14 (tie)
Years: 46 (1975)
State Championships: 7
Last Year: 9-0

11. Jim Hightower
School: St. Thomas More (Lafayette, La.)
Record: 439-128-1
All-time rank: 16
Years: 46 (1975)
State Championships: 3
Other schools: Catholic Point Coupee (1975-86)
Last Year: 10-0

12. C.J. Hamilton
School: Silver Lake (Kan.)
Record: 438-94-0
All-time rank: 17
Years: 46 (1973-76, 1979-active)
State Championships: 8
Last Year: 6-2

13. Jerry Pezzetti
School: Ankeny Centennial (Ankeny, Iowa)
Record: 431-171-1
All-time rank: 19
Years: 60 (1961)
State Championships: 2
Other schools: Murray (1961), Melcher-Dallas (1962-68), Ankeny (1969-2012)
Last Year: 2-7

14. Larry "Bud" Wright
School: Sheridan (Ind.)
Record: 429-204-2
All-time rank: 21
Years: 56 (1965)
State Championships: 8
Other schools: Mount Ayr (1965)
Last Year: 5-5

15. Randy Allen
School: Highland Park (Dallas)
Record: 414-90-6
All-time rank: 26
Years: 40 (1981)
State Championships: 4
Other schools: Ballinger (1981-85), Brownwood (1986-90), Abilene Cooper (1991-98)
Last Year: 11-1

16. Dave Gutshall
School: Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.)
Record: 412-141-0
All-time rank: 27
Years: 43 (1978)
State Championships: 4
Other schools: Madison-Mayodian, NC (1978-81), Kinston, NC (1982), Cummings, NC (1983-92)
Last Year: 4-2

17. Lea "Bill" Hurst
School: Centreville Academy (Centreville, Miss.)
Record: 409-132-0
All-time rank: 28
Years: 44 (1975-1994k 1997-active)
State Championships: 9
Last Year: 5-7

18. Alan Chadwick
School: Marist (Atlanta)
Record: 399-73-0
All-time rank: 36
Years: 36 (1985)
State Championships: 2
Last Year: 13-0

19. Dudley Hilton
School: Bell County (Pineville, Ky.)
Record: 398-127-0
All-time rank: 38
Years: 43 (1974-2010, 2014-active)
State Championships: 3
Other schools: Breathitt County (1975-82), Bell County (1983-96), Bourboun County (1997-2000), Bell County (2001-10), Taylor County (2014-16)
Last Year: 6-4

20. Reno Saccoccia
School: Steubenville (Ohio)
Record: 391-77-0
All-time rank: 41
Years: 38 (1983)
State Championships: 4
Last Year: 5-3

21. Ken Leonard
School: Sacred Heart-Griffin (Springfield, Ill.)
Record: 390-79-0
All-time rank: 42 (tie)
Years: 41 (1980)
State Championships: 5
Other schools: Gridley (1980-83)
Last Year: 6-0

22. Ken LaChapelle
School: Northbridge (Whitinsville, Mass.)
Record: 375-117-6
All-time rank: 48 (tie)
Years: 45 (1976)
State Championships: 10
Last Year: 6-0

23. (tie) Gary Swenson
School: Valley (West Des Moines, Iowa)
Record: 374-115-0
All-time rank: 50 (tie)
Years: 45 (1976)
State Championships: 6
Other schools: Manning (1976-78), West Marshall (1978-82), Spencer (1983-94)
Last Year: 4-4

23. (tie) Russ Radtke
School: Knox (Ind.)
Record: 374-145-0
All-time rank: 50 (tie)
Years: 44 (1977)
State Championships: 1
Other schools: North Judson (1977-86), Connersville (1987-92), Griffith (1993-2011), New Prairie (2012-19), Portage (2020)
Last Year: 6-5

23. (tie) Lewis Cook
School: Notre Dame (Crowley, La.)
Record: 374-86-0
All-time rank: 50 (tie)
Years: 36 (1977-80, 1985-1991, 1996-active)
State Championships: 4
Other schools: Rayne (1977-80), Crowley (1985-91, 96)
Last Year: 8-2

26. Herb Brogan
School: Lumen Christi Catholic (Jackson, Mich.)
Record: 374-86-0
All-time rank: 53 (tie)
Years: 41 (1980)
State Championships: 9
Last Year: 5-5

27. (tie) Dwight Lundgren
School: Becker (Minn.)
Record: 371-163-3
All-time rank: 56 (tie)
Years: 51 (1970)
State Championships: 3
Last Year: 4-2

27. (tie) Mike Snyder
School: Seminole (Okla.)
Record: 371-126-0
All-time rank: 56 (tie)
Years: 41 (1980)
State Championships: 1
Last Year: 5-4

29. Jeff Bellar
School: Norfolk Catholic (Norfolk, Neb.)
Record: 369-75-0
All-time rank: 59
Years: 39 (1982)
State Championships: 9
Other schools: Beaver Valley (1982-84), Norfolk Catholic (1985-95), Norfolk (1996)
Last Year: 6-3

30. Robbie Pruitt
School: Coffee (Douglas, Ga.)
Record: 368-91-1
Years: 37 (1984)
All-time rank: 60
State Championships: 7
Other schools: University Christian, Fla. (1984-92), Union County, Fla. (1995-99), Fitzgerald (2000-02), Warner Robins (2003), Fitzgerald (2004-11)
Last Year: 10-3

31. Bob Sanger
School: West Hancock (Britt, Iowa)
Record: 367-160-0
Years: 43 (1968)
All-time rank: 61
State Championships: 3
Other schools: Britt (1968-88)
Last Year: 9-2

32. Bill Young
School: Catholic Memorial (Waukesha, Wis.)
Record: 365-120-0
Years: 43 (1978)
All-time rank: 64
State Championships: 8
Last Year: 6-4

33. Rich Zinanni
School: Bishop McNamara (Kankakee, Ill.)
Record: 364-146-0
Years: 46 (1975)
All-time rank: 66 (tie)
State Championships: 5
Last Year: 3-2

34. Chuck Kyle
School: St. Ignatius (Cleveland)
Record: 361-99-1
Years: 38 (1983)
All-time rank: 71 (tie)
State Championships: 11
Last Year: 3-4

35. Lou Marinelli
School: New Canaan (Conn.)
Record: 358-109-7
Years: 42 (1976,1979-active)
All-time rank: 83
State Championships: 12
Other schools: Mamaroneck, N.Y. (1976), Yorktown, N.Y. (1979-80)
Last Year: 1-3

36. Mike Grant
School: Eden Prairie (Minn.)
Record: 357-74-0
Years: 38 (1981-86, 1989-active)
All-time rank: 85
State Championships: 11
Other schools: Forest Lake (1986-86, 1989-91)
Last Year: 7-0

37. Mark Wortman
School: Elkhorn (Neb.)
Record: 356-96-0
Years: 41 (1980)
All-time rank: 86
State Championships: 5
Last Year: 11-2

38. Jim Teague
School: Reidsville (N.C.)
Record: 354-108-0
Years: 35 (1985-2008, 2010-active)
All-time rank: 89 (tie)
State Championships: 7
Other schools: Eastern Alamance (1985-88), Garinger (1989-91), Reidsville (1992-2008), Danville, Va. (2010-11)
Last Year: 10-0

39. Monte Kohler
School: O'Dea (Seattle)
Record: 352-58-2
Years: 36 (1985)
All-time rank: 92
State Championships: 4
Last Year: 5-2

40. Bob Howard
School: Webster City (Iowa)
Record: 349-103-0
Years: 44 (1977)
All-time rank: 95
State Championships: 3
Other schools: Scranton (1977-79), Sigourney-Keota (1980-2006)
Last Year: 10-1

41. Don Smolyn
School: Lenape Valley (Stanhope, N.J.)
Record: 348-62-13
Years: 49 (1972)
All-time rank: 96
State Championships: 7
Other schools: Green Brook (1972-75)
Last Year: 6-1

42. (tie) Paul Sacco
School: St. Joseph (Hammonton, N.J.)
Record: 343-68-5
Years: 39 (1982)
All-time rank: 112 (tie)
State Championships: 23
Last Year: 7-2

42. (tie) Mike Gillin
School: Mooresville (Ind.)
Record: 343-134-0
Years: 42 (1979)
All-time rank: 112 (tie)
State Championships: 0
Other schools: Tri-West Hendricks (1979-1989), Decatur Central (1990-2000), Indian Creek (2001-16), Mooresville (2017-active)
Last Year: 12-2

44. Todd Dayton
School: Cokeville (Wyo.)
Record: 339-68-0
Years: 41 (1980)
All-time rank: 125
State Championships: 20
Last Year: 5-4

45. Jim Dixon
School: Sulphur (Okla.)
Record: 338-187-0
Years: 46 (1975)
All-time rank: 129 (tie)
State Championships: 2
Last Year: 7-4

46. (tie) Randy Baughman
School: Licking Valley (Newark, Ohio)
Record: 337-114-1
Years: 40 (1981)
All-time rank: 134 (tie)
State Championships: 0
Other schools: Indian Valley (1981), Licking Valley (1982-present)
Last Year: 7-2

46. (tie) Scott Yates
School: Kent Denver (Englewood, Colo.)
Record: 337-89-0
Years: 39 (1981-1987, 1989-active)
All-time rank: 134 (tie)
State Championships: 3
Last Year: 2-4

48. (tie) Larry French
School: Middlesboro (Ky.)
Record: 336-167-0
Years: 43 (1978)
All-time rank: 137 (tie)
State Championships: 2
Other 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: 6-2

48. (tie) Jackie Hayes
School: Dillon (S.C.)
Record: 336-58-0
Years: 29 (1992)
All-time rank: 137 (tie)
State Championships: 7
Last Year: 6-1

50. Ed Domsitz
School: Archbishop Alter (Kettering, Ohio)
Record: 335-157-1
Years: 45 (1976)
All-time rank: 142
State Championships: 2
Other schools: Trotwood-Madison (1976-80), Archbishop Alter (1981-87), Northmont (1988-98)
Last Year: 8-3