Sometime during the 2023 high school football season, the sport will
have a new all-time leader in coaching wins. Exactly when that will
happen is up for debate in more ways than one.
J.T. Curtis of
John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.) has 615 career wins, according to
totals compiled by coaching wins historian Steven Floyd. The total puts Curtis just six wins away from breaking
the all-time record of
Summerville (S.C.) legend John McKissick. Or is
it seven wins?
The confusion comes from McKissick's final
reported career win total. His Wikipedia page lists him with 621 wins
as does the National Federation of High School's record book. Floyd's meticulous research lists the late coach with 620. Likewise, the
NFHS record book lists Curtis with 588 wins while Floyd has the 615
total.
The difference in numbers comes from forfeit wins and
losses. In 2012, Summerville lost to
Goose Creek (S.C.) during the regular
season. Ranked No. 1 in the state, Goose Creek later had to forfeit 10
games, including the Summerville win, due to the use of an ineligible player.
Summerville was then credited with a forfeit win. That forfeit win is
the extra victory for McKissick.
Meanwhile, Curtis' record is
also affected by forfeits. Following the 2015 season, John Curtis
Christian was hit by a recruiting violation regarding the housing of a
player. The Louisiana High School Athletic Association required the
Patriots to forfeit 20 wins, including the 2013 state championship. Thus
some accounting of J.T. Curtis's record has far fewer wins than the
615 MaxPreps is reporting.
In an effort to maintain consistency,
MaxPreps will be using only on-field decisions when determining all-time
coaching wins. This is the protocol Floyd has used in doing his
research and it's also the same procedure used by longtime Texas
historian Joe Lee Smith. The reason for this is due to the way forfeit
wins and losses are awarded. They often occur long after a season has
concluded and thus are difficult to accurately award or subtract.
J.T. Curtis consults with an assistant coach during last season's Division I Select championship game in Louisiana, a 23-0 victory for his program and the 615th of his career. (Photo: Kenneth P. Steib)
So
sometime in mid-October, high school football could have a new all-time
wins leader. If John Curtis Christian, which was named in June by Zack Poff of MaxPreps as the top team in the state heading into the 2023
season, wins its first six games, J.T. Curtis will have his 621st
all-time win against
Archbishop Rummel (Metairie) on Oct. 6. That would
be 30 years, almost to the day, that McKissick took over as the nation's
all-time winningest coach. Or is it 31 years?
McKissick
"officially" passed Gordon Wood of Texas, who coached at multiple
schools in the state from 1940 to 1985, with his 406th win in a 42-0
victory over
Wando (Mt. Pleasant) on October 8, 1993. But it turns out that
McKissick had actually set the record one year earlier with his 395th
win, also in a victory over Wando in 1992.
The
error in Wood's career record did not surface until 2001 when Texas
historians discovered that Wood had inadvertently been credited with
extra wins, including six extra in his first year at
Rule (Texas) where his
record was listed as 8-2 instead of its actual total of 2-8. Thus Wood's
record went down to 396 wins. Years later, Joe Lee Smith determined
that two of Wood's wins at
Roscoe (Texas) in 1945 didn't count because he was
still serving in the military during World War II.
Thus Wood's all-time wins record was 394 wins, not 405, and McKissick overtook Wood in 1992 with the Wando win.
Curtis is easily the winningest active coach in the nation as he leads
No. 2 Robert Hyland of
St. Mary's Springs (Fond du Lac, Wis.) by over
100 wins. Hyland went over 500 career wins last year and has 503, making
him just the fourth coach in high school history to surpass 500 wins.
Curtis and Hyland top the list of top 50 winningest active coaches in 2023.
The list does not include longtime coaches
Bill Castle of
Lakeland (Fla.), Ken Leonard of
Sacred Heart-Griffin (Springfield, Ill.), Chuck Kyle of
St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio), Jim Teague of
Reidsville (N.C.), Bruce Rollinson of
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) and
Paul Sacco of
St. Joseph (Hammonton, N.J.), all of whom retired
following the 2022 season.
Castle finished with 474 career wins,
the most in Florida state history while Leonard finished with 416 wins,
the most in Illinois. Both Castle and Leonard went 14-0 with a state
title in their final seasons. Teague finished with 380 wins while Kyle
ended with 376 wins, Sacco finished with 357 and Rollinson with 341.
NOTE: All
totals originally researched and compiled by Steven Floyd, who annually
provides MaxPreps with an updated list of the nation's winningest
coaches.
Top 50 winningest active coaches
1. (No. 1 last year) John T. Curtis — 615Current school: John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.)Record: 615-77-6
Years: 54 (1969)
State championships: 28 (includes forfeited 2013 championship).
Last year: 12-2
2. (2) Robert Hyland — 503Current school: St. Mary's Springs (Fond du Lac, Wis.)Record: 503-115-2
Years: 52 (1971)
State championships: 17
Last year: 11-2
3. (3) Jim Roth — 484Current school: Southern Columbia Area (Catawissa, Pa.)Record: 484-67-2
Years: 39 (1984)
State championships: 13
Last year: 13-3
4. (4) Gary Rankin — 473Current school: Boyd-Buchanan (Chattanooga, Tenn.)Record: 473-82-0
Years: 41 (1982)
State championships: 17
Last year: 7-5
5. (5) Philip Haywood — 471Current school: Belfry (Ky.)Record: 471-154-0
Years: 48 (1975)
State championships: 7
Last year: 6-6
6. (7) Tommy Knotts — 466Current school: Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.)Record: 466-66-0
Years: 39 (1983)
State championships: 14
Last year: 14-1
7. (8) Jerry Sinz — 458Current school: Edgar (Wis.)Record: 458-90-0
Years: 48 (1975)
State championships: 7
Last year: 10-2
8. (9) Jim Hightower — 460Current school: St. Thomas More (Lafayette, La.)Record: 460-134-1
Years: 48 (1975)
State championships: 5
Last year: 13-1
9. (10) Larry "Bud" Wright — 447Current school: Sheridan (Ind.)Record: 447-209-2
Years: 58 (1965)
State championships: 8
Last year: 11-2
10. (11) Jerry Pezzetti — 440Current school: Ankeny Centennial (Iowa)Record: 440-182-1
Years: 62 (1961)
State championships: 2
Last year: 5-5
11. (12) Randy Allen — 435Current school: Highland Park (Dallas, Texas)Record: 435-93-6
Years: 42 (1981)
State championships: 4
Last year: 11-1
12. (13) Lea "Bill" Hurst — 423Current school: Centreville Academy (Centreville, Miss.)Record: 423-143-0
Years: 46 (1975)
State championships: 9
Last year: 5-7
13. (14) Alan Chadwick — 419Current school: Marist (Atlanta)Record: 419-78-0
Years: 38 (1985)
State championships: 3
Last year: 10-3
14. (15) Dudley Hilton — 418Current school: Bell County (Pineville, Ky.)Record: 418-132-0
Years: 45 (1974)
State championships: 3
Last year: 10-3
15. (17) Reno Saccoccia — 412Current school: Steubenville (Ohio)Record: 412-83-0
Years: 40 (1983)
State championships: 4
Last year: 12-3
16. (19) Herb Brogan — 395Current school: Lumen Christi Catholic (Jackson, Mich.)Record: 395-91-0
Years: 43 (1980)
State championships: 10
Last year: 11-3
17. (20) Lewis Cook — 393Current school: Notre Dame (Crowley, La.)Record: 393-92-0
Years: 38 (1977)
State championships: 4
Last year: 10-3
18. (23) Jeff Bellar — 393Current school: Norfolk Catholic (Norfolk, Neb.)Record: 393-77-0
Years: 41 (1982)
State championships: 10
Last year: 13-0
19. (26) Bill Young — 392Current school: Catholic Memorial (Waukesha, Wis.)Record: 392-121-0
Years: 45 (1978)
State championships: 9
Last year: 13-1
20. (20) Gary Swenson — 391Current school: Valley (West Des Moines, Iowa)Record: 391-123-0
Years: 47 (1976)
State championships: 6
Last year: 8-5
21. (22) Dwight Lundeen — 390Current school: Becker (Minn.)Record: 390-166-3
Years: 53 (1970)
State championships: 3
Last year: 8-2
22. (18) Ken LaChapelle — 388Current school: Northbridge (Whitinsville, Mass.)Record: 388-127-6
Years: 47 (1976)
State championships: 10
Last year: 3-8
22. (26) Russ Radtke — 388Current school: Knox (Ind.)Record: 388-156-0
Years: 46 (1977)
State championships: 1
Last year: 9-4
24. (28) Robbie Pruitt — 386Current school: Williston (Fla.)Record: 386-95-1
Years: 39 (1984)
State championships: 7
Last year: 10-1
25. (23) Mike Snyder — 383Current school: Seminole (Okla.)Record: 383-135-0
Years: 43 (1980)
State championships: 1
Last year: 3-7
26. (29) Lou Marinelli — 380Current school: New Canaan (Conn.)Record: 380-112-7
Years: 44 (1976)
State championships: 13
Last year: 12-1
27. (31) Mike Grant — 376Current school: Eden Prairie (Minn.)Record: 376-79-0
Years: 40 (1981)
State championships: 11
Last year: 9-3
28. (34) Monte Kohler — 370Current school: O'Dea (Seattle, Wash.)Record: 370-63-2
Years: 38 (1985)
State championships: 4
Last year: 10-2
29. (33) Ed Domsitz — 367Current school: Archbishop Alter (Kettering, Ohio)Record: 367-169-1
Years: 47 (1976)
State championships: 2
Last year: 6-6
30. (35) Bob Howard — 363Current school: Webster City (Iowa)Record: 363-110-0
Years: 46 (1977)
State championships: 3
Last year: 6-4
31. (36) Mike Gillin — 359Current school: Mooresville (Ind.)Record: 359-140-0
Years: 44 (1979)
State championships: 0
Last year: 8-3
32. (38) Larry French — 356Current school: Middlesboro (Ky.)Record: 356-172-0
Years: 45 (1978)
State championships: 2
Last year: 7-4
33. (40) Burton Cates — 355Current school: Eastern Randolph (Ramseur, N.C.)Record: 355-129-0
Years: 39 (1984)
State championships: 1
Last year: 11-2
34. (43) John DiBiaso — 353Current school: Catholic Memorial (West Roxbury, Mass.)Record: 353-81-2
Years: 41 (1982)
State championships: 15
Last year: 12-0
35. (45) Bob Wolfrum — 350Current school: Wyomissing (Pa.)Record: 350-87-1
Years: 36 (1987)
State championships: 1
Last year: 13-1
36. (46) Kevin Clancy — 348Current school: Strath Haven (Wallingford, Pa.)Record: 348-151-2
Years: 42 (1981)
State championships: 2
Last year: 12-1
36. (46) Terry Curtis — 348Current school: UMS-Wright Prep (Mobile, Ala.)Record: 348-93-0
Years: 34 (1989)
State championships: 8
Last year: 12-1
38. (46) Kevin Wallace — 346Current school: St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.)Record: 346-116-0
Years: 37 (1984)
State championships: 6
Last year: 10-2
39. (46) Ken Potter — 345Current school: Jesuit (Portland, Ore.)Record: 345-82-0
Years: 36 (1987)
State championships: 4
Last year: 9-2
40. (44) Randy Baughman — 344Current school: Licking Valley (Newark, Ohio)Record: 344-126-1
Years: 42 (1981)
State championships: 0
Last year: 5-4
40. (NR) Denney Faith — 344Current school: Albany (Texas)Record: 344-110-4
Years: 36 (1987)
State championships: 1
Last year: 14-2
42. (NR) Danny Horn — 341Current school: Central of Clay County (Lineville, Ala.)Record: 341-96-0
Years: 34 (1989)
State championships: 8
Last year: 7-3
43. (NR) Dino Garr — 339Current school: Rye (N.Y.)Record: 339-112-4
Years: 47 (1976)
State championships: 3
Last year: 9-2
44. (NR) Paul Benefield — 337Current school: Fyffe (Ala.)Record: 337-55-0
Years: 31 (1992)
State championships: 6
Last year: 15-0
45. (NR) Brian O'Reilly — 336Current school: Pinkerton (Derry, N.H.)Record: 336-128-0
Years: 45 (1978)
State championships: 11
Last year: 9-3
46. (NR) Jeff Herron — 331Current school: Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.)Record: 331-68-0
Years: 32 (1989)
State championships: 5
Last year: 8-4
47. (NR) Pat Rice — 330Current school: Waunakee (Wis.)Record: 330-44-0
Years: 31 (1992)
State championships: 7
Last year: 11-1
48. (NR) Joe Frappoli — 327Current school: Florence Township Memorial (Florence, N.J.)Record: 327-159-5
Years: 49 (1974)
State championships: 6
Last year: 7-2
48. (NR) John Hart — 327Current school: Brownsburg (Ind.)Record: 327-98-0
Years: 38 (1985)
State championships: 2
Last year: 10-2
50. (NR) Reginald Samples — 326Current school: Duncanville (Texas)Record: 326-87-2
Years: 33 (1990)
State championships: 1
Last year: 15-0
