Louisiana legend J.T. Curtis gets victory 621, becoming high school football's all-time leader in coaching wins

After 54 years on the sideline at John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.), J.T. Curtis became the all-time coaching wins leader in high school football Friday night after his Patriots beat Brother Martin (New Orleans) 26-7.

With win No. 621, Curtis surpassed the late John McKissick of Summerville (S.C.), who has held the record since 1992. McKissick owned the mark for 22 years as an active coach before stepping aside in 2014.

While Curtis' legacy will always be tied to the wins record, his dominance on the state and national level should not be overlooked. John Curtis Christian (the school is named after his father) has won 28 state titles under his guidance and was recognized as national champion in 2012 by MaxPreps.

According to Wikipedia, Curtis has coached 14 players who have gone on to play in the NFL. In recent weeks, there has been confusion as to the final win total of McKissick due to a 2012 contest that went from an on-the-field loss for Summerville to a forfeit win. John Curtis Christian was also forced to vacate 20 wins from 2013 to 2015.

Kevin Askeland of MaxPreps detailed earlier this week why forfeits aren't factored into coaching win-loss records and highlighted the double standard being applied to Curtis and McKissick by some media outlets – likely unknowingly.

Expect Curtis to hold on to the record for years if not decades. No. 2 on the all-time wins list is Bob Hyland of St. Mary's Springs (Fond du Lac, Wis.), who has 513 victories – more than 100 behind the new leader.

John Curtis Christian (6-2) hopes to get its coach win No. 622 next week against an unbeaten Edna Karr (New Orleans) team.