John McKissick, who holds the record for most victories of any football coach at any level, died Thursday. He was 93.
McKissick, who retired in 2015 after coaching 63 seasons at Summerville High School in South Carolina, died at 10:45 a.m. and was surrounded by family members, Dorchester County coroner Paul Brouthers told WCSC.
According to the National Federation of High School Association website, McKissick's 621 career victories are the most among high school football coaches -- and tops his college and professional counterparts.
McKissick had a record of 621-155-13 in 62 seasons with the Green Wave and won 10 South Carolina state titles, the last one coming in 1998, The Post and Courier of Charleston reported. Five of those state championship teams went undefeated, WCSC reported.
Penn State's Joe Paterno won 409 games on the field to lead Division I college football coaches, while Hall of Fame coach Don Shula of the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Colts won 345 games (including playoffs) in the National Football League.
High school coach J.T. Curtis, of John Curtis Christian School in River Ridge, Louisiana, is second on the all-time list with 592 victories.
McKissick was named the national high school coach of the year three times, WCSC reported. He is a member of the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, the South Carolina Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the South Carolina Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the NFHS National High School Hall of Fame in 2012.
About the Author
