High school basketball: Nearing 1,250, Gary McKnight of Mater Dei leads active coaching wins list

Orange County legend should approach No. 2 all-time leader Morgan Wootten of DeMatha this year.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Kevin Askeland
By
Nov 16, 2023, 2:00pm
Gary McKnight, now in his 42nd year as head coach at Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), moved into third place on the all-time high school basketball career win list last year and has a shot at overtaking DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) legend Morgan Wootten during the 2023-24 school year.

McKnight leads the list of the top 50 active coaching wins leaders with a record of 1,243-134. He surpassed Steve Smith of Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), who retired following the 2022 season with 1,228 wins. Mater Dei went 29-7 last year and McKnight would need 31 wins to tie Wootten, who retired in 2002 with 1,274 wins.

Mater Dei has averaged over 30 wins per season under McKnight's tutelage but has not won over 30 games since the 2017 season (33-3).

It would likely take another three years for McKnight to reach Robert Hughes of Texas, who holds the all-time wins list with 1,333 wins at Terrell (Fort Worth) and Dunbar (Fort Worth).

Richard Duease of Madison-Ridgeland Academy (Madison, Miss.) is close behind McKnight and the only other active coach over 1,200 with 1,210. He passed Bob Hurley of St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) last year and is 18 wins away from passing Smith (1,128) to move into fourth place on the list.

Freddy Johnson of Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N.C.), meanwhile, needs 19 wins to tie Hurley and move into sixth place on the all-time list. Johnson starts the year at No. 3 on the active wins list with 1,166 victories.

Recently retired coaches include Jerry Pettitgoue of Cuba City (Wis.), who concluded his 60-year career with 1,028 wins. His departure leaves Bob Foley of St. John's (Shrewsbury, Mass.) as the longest tenured coach on the active list. Now in his 61st season, Foley began coaching in 1963.

Others who retired with over 900 wins include Tony Chapman of Holy Ghost Prep (Bensalem, Pa.) with 928 wins and Don Lippi of St. Joseph Notre Dame (Alameda, Calif.) with 920 wins.
Gary McKnight (right) celebrates last season's Southern Section Division 1 title win with longtime assistant coach Jason Quinn. Under McKnight's guidance, Mater Dei has won 24 section titles and 11 state crowns. (Photo: Louis Lopez)
Gary McKnight (right) celebrates last season's Southern Section Division 1 title win with longtime assistant coach Jason Quinn. Under McKnight's guidance, Mater Dei has won 24 section titles and 11 state crowns. (Photo: Louis Lopez)
Top 50 active coaching wins leaders

1. Gary McKnight *
Career record: 1,243-134 (.903)
Year started: 1983
Current school: Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)

2. Richard Duease *
Wins: 1,210 wins
Year started: 1976
Current school: Madison-Ridgeland Academy (Madison, Miss.)

3. Freddy Johnson *
Career record: 1,166-315 (.787)
Year started: 1977
Current school: Greensboro Day School (Greensboro, N.C.)

4. Charles Smith *
Career record: 1,146-205 (.848)
Year started: 1985
Current school: Peabody (Alexandria, La.)

5. Tony Harper
Career record: 1,120-501 (.691)
Year started: 1971
Current school: Cathedral (El Paso, Texas)

6. Danny Broussard
Career record: 1,106-345 (.762)
Year started: 1983
Current school: St. Thomas More (Lafayette, La.)

7. Mike LeDuc
Career record: 1,044-266 (.797)
Year started: 1980
Current school: Damien (La Verne, Calif.)

8. Ron Insinger *
Career record: 1,026-293 (.778)
Year started: 1974
Current school: Loyalsock Township (Williamsport, Pa.)

9. Paul Rodio
Career record: 1,014-260 (.796)
Year started: 1977
Current school: St. Augustine Prep (Richland, N.J.)

10. Bob Foley *
Career record: 971-392 (.712)
Year started: 1963
Current school: St. John's (Shrewsbury, Mass.)

11. Jeff Bell
Career record: 953-312 (.753)
Year started: 1982
Current school: Graford (Texas)

12. Ken Novak Jr.
Career record: 944-181 (.839)
Year started: 1982
Current school: Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.)

13. Aaron Straub
Career record: 939-244 (.794)
Year started: 1983
Current school: Elk County Catholic (St. Marys, Pa.)

14. Neil Alexander
Career record: 933-419 (.690)
Year started: 1977
Current school: Lincoln (Ill.)

15. Harvey Kitani
Career record: 930-293 (.760)
Year started: 1980
Current school: Rolling Hills Prep (San Pedro, Calif.)

16. Ron Naclerio
Wins: 910 wins
Year started: 1981
Current school: Cardozo (Bayside, N.Y.)

17. Pat Eidson
Career record: 909-413 (.690)
Year started: 1983
Current school: Pinewood Prep (Summerville, S.C.)

18. Butch Waller
Career record: 905-372 (.709)
Year started: 1966
Current school: Wicomico (Salisbury, Md.)

19. Todd Sutherland
Career record: 904-188 (.828)
Year started: 1993
Current school: East Chambers (Winnie, Texas)

20. Rudy Carey *
Career record: 897-222 (.802)
Year started: 1976
Current school: Denver East (Denver, Colo.)

21. J.R. Holmes *
Career record: 896-361 (.712)
Year started: 1971
Current school: Bloomington South (Bloomington, Ind.)

22. Greg Wise
Career record: 889-154 (.857)
Year started: 1996
Current school: Yates (Houston, Texas)

23. Jim Scanlon
Career record: 872-270 (.764)
Year started: 1976
Current school: Rock Bridge (Columbia, Mo.)

24. Ken Bianchi
Career record: 868-391 (.689)
Year started: 1975
Current school: Abington Heights (Clarks Summit, Pa.)

25. Jim Murphy
Career record: 862-264 (.766)
Year started: 1984
Current school: Hope Christian (Albuquerque, N.M.)

26. Sandy Pyonin
Wins: 850 wins (estimate)
Year started: N/A
Current school: Golda Och Academy (West Orange, N.J.)

27. Lester King
Career record: 847-553 (.605)
Year started: 1979
Current school: Goodrich (Texas)

28. Richard Hoogendoorn
Career record: 844-534 (.612)
Year started: 1976
Current school: Schulenburg (Texas)

29. Tim Whipple
Career record: 843-234 (.783)
Year started: 1981
Current school: Irmo (Columbia, S.C.)

30. Tom Bonfigli
Career record: 843-350 (.707)
Year started: 1981
Current school: St. Vincent de Paul (Petaluma, Calif.)

31. Jody Wright
Career record: 835-371 (.692)
Year started: 1984
Current school: Fulton (Knoxville, Tenn.)

32. Joe Fenlon*
Career record: 833-341 (.710)
Year started: 1983
Current school: Tampa Prep (Tampa, Fla.)

33. Joe Hosman
Career record: 827-438 (.654)
Year started: 1979
Current school: Massac County (Metropolis, Ill.)

34. Dave Rogers *
Career record: 823-251 (.766)
Year started: 1975
Current school: Martinsburg (W. Va.)

35. Ken Shaw
Career record: 823-288 (.741)
Year started: 1976
Current school: Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.)

36. Rick Mills
Career record: 822-483 (.630)
Year started: 1972
Current school: Northwest (Cedar Hill, Mo.)

37. Kevin Boyle
Wins: 821
Year started: 1989
Current school: Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)

38. Roy Johnston *
Career record: 821-347 (.703)
Year started: 1967
Current school: Beaverton (Mich.)

39. Bobby Carson
Wins: 811
Year started: 1983
Current school: Marshall (Texas)

40. Mike Bartee
Wins: 806
Year started: 1982
Current school: JW North (Riverside, Calif.)

41. Larry Kostelac
Wins: 802
Year started: 1985
Current school: Trinity (Camp Hill, Pa.)

42. Tom Hofman
Career record: 800-258 (.756)
Year started: 1986
Current school: La Canada (Calif.)

43. Rodney Woods
Career record: 800-462 (.634)
Year started: 1984
Current school: Wayne County (Monticello, Ky.)

44. Dan Carr *
Wins: 798
Year started: 1978
Current school: Linton/Hazelton-Moffit-Braddock (Linton, N.D.)

45. Dennis Reuter
Career record: 797-445 (.642)
Year started: 1981
Current school: Gibault Catholic (Waterloo, Ill.)

46. Ken "Snip" Esterly
Career record: 792-217 (.784)
Year started: 1990
Current school: Berks Catholic (Reading, Pa.)

47. Pat Clatchey
Career record: 792-257 (.755)
Year started: 1992
Current school: Mount St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.)

48. Dave Neier
Career record: 790-254 (.757)
Year started: 1987
Current school: St. Francis Borgia (Washington, Mo.)

49. Doug Schumbert
Wins: 787
Year started: 1984
Current school: Anadarko (Okla.)

50. Doug Mitchell
Career record: 787-194 (.802)
Year started: 1990
Current school: Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.)

* State leader

Additions or corrections? Email Kevin Askeland kevinaskeland65@gmail.com

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