The Daily Gamecock

Brief: Famed coach retires after 63 seasons

KRT SPORTS STORY SLUGGED: FBH-MCKISSICK KRT PHOTOGRAPH BY TODD BENNETT/THE STATE (September 25) Football coach John McKissick with his players at Summerville, South Carolina. He is the winningest coach in the nation's history. (mvw) 2003
KRT SPORTS STORY SLUGGED: FBH-MCKISSICK KRT PHOTOGRAPH BY TODD BENNETT/THE STATE (September 25) Football coach John McKissick with his players at Summerville, South Carolina. He is the winningest coach in the nation's history. (mvw) 2003

Summerville High School head football coach John McKissick, 88, has announced that he will be retiring from his job after one of the most impressive careers in football history.

Coaching since 1952, McKissick said that his age was finally catching up with him, but he felt he'd been "the luckiest guy in the world" for being able to coach for as long as he has.

Over the course of his coaching career, McKissick led his team to 10 state championships and a total of 620 wins; more wins than any football coach has ever achieved at any level of play.

Regarding McKissick's retirement, USC head football coach Steve Spurrier released a statement.

"Coach McKissick is one of the nicest gentleman I know," Spurrier said. "He's a smart coach and a good coach — outstanding in everything he did. I'm going to certainly miss seeing him when I go by Summerville High School. I've made it a point every year to try to go by there during recruiting season and say 'hello' to Coach McKissick. He's well-respected, admired, a friend of all. We're going to miss him, but we certainly understand when the time's right, as he feels it is, it's time to go do something else, and he'll be doing something else."

From the other side of the fence, Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney also shared his thoughts.

"First, I want to congratulate Coach John McKissick on an incredible career and the contributions he has made to this profession." said Swinney in a release. "He has had such a positive impact on the lives of so many coaches and players dating to when he started in 1952. I played and coached at the University of Alabama, a school whose history includes Bear Bryant. Coach McKissick won nearly twice as many games as Coach Bryant. That is almost impossible to comprehend." 

Swinney goes on to remember what specifically McKissick did for him as he began as Clemson's head coach.

"The commitment he has made to the sport and to that community is unprecedented. One thing that stands out to me took place my first year as a head coach at Clemson. I was asked to speak at the state high school clinic and as I started my talk I noticed Coach McKissick sitting on the front row taking notes. Here he was over 80 years old and he was still setting a great example. His presence told me that you can never stop improving, never stop striving to get better, and never be satisfied with your past accomplishments."

When asked about his replacement, McKissick said he would like to see his grandson take over the head coaching position, as he is currently Summerville High School's offensive coordinator, but ultimately McKissick will remain out of the decision.

—James Stewart, News Editor


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