John McKissick

John McKissick (September 25, 1926 – November 28, 2019) was a head football coach of Summerville High School in Summerville, South Carolina. In 2012, he became the first American football coach in history (high school, college, or professional) to win 600 career games. His 600th win came against Summerville's Ashley Ridge High School.[1] Up until 2013, he had never missed a game in 62 years and was the longest serving high school football coach of all time. He led Summerville to 10 state championships. With 621 wins, McKissick holds the record for most wins by a football coach at any level. He graduated from Kingstree Senior High School in Kingstree, South Carolina, then went to Presbyterian College for two years before being drafted into the Army (as a paratrooper). He returned to Presbyterian to graduate with a degree in economics in 1951. He then worked for his father for a while before finally getting the coaching job at Summerville High.[2] He coached all three of his grandsons, Richard and Joe Call, and Donny McElveen. He was elected to the National High School Hall of Fame in 1990. After McKissick's retirement ahead of the 2015 season[3], grandson Joe who had been his offensive coordinator was named head coach.[4]

John McKissick
Current position
TitleHead coach
Biographical details
Born(1926-09-25)September 25, 1926
Greenwood, South Carolina
DiedNovember 28, 2019(2019-11-28) (aged 93)
Summerville, South Carolina
Playing career
1948–1949Brevard College
1950–1951Presbyterian College
Position(s)FB
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1952–2014Summerville HS
Head coaching record
Overall621–155–13
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
10 South Carolina state championships (1955, 1956, 1969, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1998)
Awards
1980, 1994 and 2003 HS Coach of the Year

McKissick was mentioned in Pat Conroy's The Prince of Tides novel in 1986 and the film that was released five years later. In Conroy's novel, South of Broad, McKissick is given dialogue in a fictional game played between Summerville High School and Peninsula High School.

References
  1. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/highschool/10/26/summerville-john-mckissick-win-600.ap/index.html
  2. "USATODAY.com – Winningest coach can't quit". usatoday30.usatoday.com.
  3. Wire, S. I. "Summerville coach John McKissick retires after 63 years". Sports Illustrated.
  4. "Joe Call named head football coach at Summerville High School". February 26, 2016.
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