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Plenty of decorated coaches will be manning sidelines across the nation when high school football season kicks off later this month.
J.T. Curtis, the head coach of Louisiana powerhouse John Curtis, is just two wins away from becoming just the second high school football coach to ever reach the 600-win mark. The only other coach to ever reach the plateau was the legendary John McKissick, who won 621 games throughout his storied coaching career in South Carolina.
Today, USA Today High School Sports takes a look at the top 25 active winningest high school football coaches in the nation.
J.T. Curtis — John Curtis (Louisiana)
Record: 598-71-6
State Championships: 27
Years of Experience: 52
Mike Smith — Hampton (Virginia)
Record: 497-95-2
State Championships: 12
Years of Experience: 50
Robert Hyland — St. Mary’s Springs (Wisconsin)
Record: 481-110-2
State Championships: 17
Years of Experience: 50
Phil Danaher — Calallen (Texas)
Record: 480-116-4
State Championships: 0
Years of Experience: 47
Jim Roth — Southern Columbia Area (Pennsylvania)
Record: 456-63-2
State Championships: 11
Years of Experience: 37
Phillip Haywood —Belfry (Kentucky)
Record: 456-142
State Championships: 6
Years of Experience: 46
Gary Rankin — Alcoa (Tennessee)
Record: 453-77
State Championships: 16
Years of Experience: 39
Bill Castle — Lakeland (Florida)
Record: 451-95
State Championships: 7
Years of Experience: 45
Tommy Knotts — Dutch Fork (South Carolina)
Record: 440-64
State Championships: 12
Years of Experience: 37
Jerry Sinz — Edgar (Wisconsin)
Record: 440-85
State Championships: 7
Years of Experience: 46
Jim Hightower — St. Thomas More (Louisiana)
Record: 439-128-1
State Championships: 3
Years of Experience: 46
C.J. Hamilton — Silver Lake (Kansas)
Record: 438-94
State Championships: 8
Years of Experience: 46
Jerry Pezzetti — Ankeny Centennial (Iowa)
Record: 431-171-1
State Championships: 2
Years of Experience: 60
Larry Wright — Sheridan (Indiana)
Record: 492-204-2
State Championships: 8
Years of Experience: 56
Randy Allen — Highland Park (Texas)
Record: 414-90-6
State Championships: 4
Years of Experience: 40
Dave Gutshall — Dorman (South Carolina)
Record: 412-141
State Championships: 4
Years of Experience: 43
Lea Hurst — Centreville Academy (Mississippi)
Record: 409-132
State Championships: 9
Years of Experience: 44
Alan Chadwick — Marist (Georgia)
Record: 399-73
State Championships: 2
Years of Experience: 36
Dudley Hilton — Bell County (Kentucky)
Record: 398-127
State Championships: 3
Years of Experience: 43
Reno Saccoccia — Steubenville (Ohio)
Record: 391-77
State Championships: 4
Years of Experience: 38
Ken Leonard — Sacred Heart-Griffin (Illinois)
Record: 390-79
State Championships: 5
Years of Experience: 41
Ken LaChappelle — Northbridge (Massachusetts)
Record: 375-117-6
State Championships: 10
Years of Experience: 45
Gary Swenson — Valley (Iowa)
Record: 374-115
State Championships: 6
Years of Experience: 45
Russ Radtke — Knox (Indiana)
Record: 374-145
State Championships: 1
Years of Experience: 44
Lewis Cook — Notre Dame (Louisiana)
Record: 374-86
State Championships: 4
Years of Experience: 36