America’s All-Time Coaching Wins List

john mckissick won 621 high school football gamesYouTube photo of the late John McKissick, America's all-time winningest high school football coach
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The gap between all-time coaching victories leader John McKissick and J.T. Curtis is down to 18 wins.

Curtis, who joined the 600-Win Club last season, enters 2022 with a lifetime record of 603-75-6. Coach McKissick retired from Summerville High School in South Carolina in 2015 with 621 victories.

Curtis has been the head coach at John Curtis Christian School in River Ridge, Louisiana since 1969. The school was started by his father in 1962.

The 500-Win Club could welcome a new member this year. St. Mary’s Springs (Wisconsin) Robert Hyland enters this season with a lifetime mark of 493-109-2. He’s led the school to nine state championships.

Last year, Hampton (Virginia) High School’s Mike Smith reached the 500-Win Club. He retired at the end of the 2021 season with a lifetime mark of 506-100-2. He’s currently No. 3 on the all-time wins list.

Phil Danaher, who’s No. 5 on the total victories list, also retired at the end of last season. Danaher stepped-down from Calallen High with 490 lifetime wins and two Texas state championships.

Heading into 2022, 20 of the Top 76 all-time winners are still active on the sidelines.

Editor’s Note: We use several different media sources to create this 11-man football victories list. If you feel you have more information that we can consider for our list, please email fisher@highschoolfootballamerica.com.

All-Time Coaching Victories heading into the 2022 Season

Rank/NameSchool/State(s)Record
   
No. 1 John McKissick South Carolina621-156-13
*No. 2 J.T. CurtisJohn Curtis – Louisiana603-75-6
No. 3 Mike SmithVirginia506-100-2
*No. 4 Robert HylandSt. Mary’s Springs – Wisconsin493-109-2
No. 5 Phil DanaherTexas490-118-4
No. 6 Larry CampbellGeorgia477-85-3
*No. 7 Jim RothSouthern Columbia – Pennsylvania471-64-2
No. 8 (tied) Charles “Corky” RogersFlorida466-84-1
*No. 8 (tied) Philip HaywoodBelfry – Kentucky466-147
*No. 8 (tied) Gary RankinBoyd-Buchana – Tennessee466-78
*No. 11 Bill Castle Lakeland – Florida459-97
No. 12 George CurryPennsylvania455-99-5
*No. 13 Jerry SinzEdger – Wisconsin450-89
*No. 14 (tied) Jim HightowerSt. Thomas More – Louisiana448-133-1
*No. 14 (tied) C.J. HamiltonKansas448-97
No. 16 Jack HenzesPennsylvania444-168-8
No. 17 John HerringtonMichigan443-112-1
*No. 18 Tom KnottsDutch Fork – South Carolina438-65
*No. 19 Larry “Bud” WrightSheridan – Indiana436-207-2
*No. 20 Jerry PezzettiAnkeny Centennial – Iowa435-173-1
No. 21 Dick TigheIowa432-167-8
No. 22 Al FrancassaMichigan431-117-7
No. 23 (tied) David GentryNorth Carolina426-197
*No. 23 (tied) Randy AllenHighland Park – Texas424-92-6
No. 23 (tied) G.A. MooreTexas426-92-9
*No. 26 (tied) Bill HurstCentreville Academy – Mississippi418-135
No. 26 (tied) Curt BladtIowa418-63
No. 26 (tied) Dave GutshallSouth Carolina418-146
No. 29 Jack HolleyNorth Carolina412-96-9
*No. 30 (tied) Alan ChadwickMarist – Georgia409-75
*No. 30 (tied) Dudley HiltonBell County – Kentucky409-130
No. 32 Jim RenderPennsylvania406-141-6
*No. 33 (tied) Ken LeonardSacred Heart-Griffin HS – Illinois405-81
No. 33 (tied) Pete Adkins Missouri405-60-4
No. 33 (tied) Bob MilloyMaryland405-124-1
No. 36 Robert ParoliNorth Carolina403-206-13
*No. 37 (tied) Reno SaccocciaSteubenville – Ohio401-80
No. 37 (tied) Ricky BlackMississippi401-79
No. 37 (tied) Jim FranceOhio401-129-4
No. 40 Bob LadouceurCalifornia399-25-3
No. 41 (tied) Gordon Wood Texas394-93-15
No. 41 (tied) Sid OttonWashington394-131
No. 43 Ron StolskiMinnesota389-183-5
*No. 44 (tied) Gary SwensonValley – Des Moines, Iowa384-116
*No. 44 (tied) Herb BroganLumen Christi – Michigan384-91
No. 46 Willie VarnerSouth Carolina383-132-10
No. 47 (tied) Bob LutzOhio381-91-5
No. 47 (tied) Ron HoltmanMissouri381-103-4
No. 49 (tied) Mike SnyderSeminole – Oklahoma379-127
No. 49 (tied) Howie VogtsNew York379-128-10
No. 51 Frank LentiIllinois374-77
No. 52 Victor PaternostroNew Jersey373-67-5
No. 53 Joe BradshawAlabama/Mississippi371-120-4
No. 54 Tom MachMichigan370-94
*No. 55 (tied) Chuck KyleSt. Ignatius – Ohio368-104-1
No. 55 (tied) Jerry BrewerIndiana368-105-2
No. 55 (tied) Frank McCleelanMississipp/Arkansas368-77-4
No. 55 (tied) Ken NetherlandTennessee368-131-3
No. 59 Alton “Red” FranklinLouisiana367-76-7
No. 59 (tied) Bob ShoreMissouri367-98
No. 61 (tied) Bruce HendricksonOklahoma364-100-2
No. 61 (tied) Warren WolfNew Jersey364-129-11
No. 63 Dick BashamWisconsin363-90
No. 64 (tied) Mike BoydMichigan361-116-1
No. 64 (tied) Elbert WrightTexas/Mississippi361-126-17
No. 66 (tied) Tony DeMatteoNew York360-110
No. 66 (tied) Terry MaloneOhio360-117-8
No. 66 (tied) Bob RaczekWisconsin360-165-2
No. 69 Bob SangerIowa358-160
No. 70 Charles LenahanNew Hampshire356-70-1
No. 71 Carlton FlattTennessee354-68-3
No. 72 Dewey SullivanOregon352-84-2
No. 73 (tied) Julius “Pinky” BabbGeorgia346-86-24
No. 73 (tied) Dan PittsGeorgia346-109-4
No. 73 (tied) Tom BrownNorth Carolina346-111-7
No. 73 (tied) Buddy AndersonAlabama 346-160

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About the Author

Jeff Fisher
Jeff is an award-winning journalist and expert in the field of high school sports, underscored with his appearance on CNBC in 2010 to talk about the big business of high school football in America.Jeff turned to his passion for high school football into an entrepreneurial venture called High School Football America, a digital media company focused on producing original high school sports content for radio, television and the internet.Jeff is co-founder and editor-in-chief of High School Football America, a partner with NFL Play Football.