National high school football coaching wins record under dispute: report
Last week, it appeared as if longtime John Curtis Christian (Louisiana) football coach J.T. Curtis Jr. had tied a national record for most coaching wins.
However, in the eyes of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association, Curtis is actually 30 wins short.
According to Nola.com on Wednesday, the LHSAA released a statement noting that the correct win-loss total for Curtis should be 591-109-6 instead of the 621 wins Curtis appeared to obtain when the Patriots beat Brother Martin last Friday.
The 30-win discrepancy stems from the number of forfeited games John Curtis had several years ago due to using an ineligible player.
In 2016, the LHSAA ruled that John Curtis had to forfeit wins achieved during the 2013-15 seasons, including a Division II state championship won in 2013.
The following year, 2017, J.T. Curtis Jr. filed a lawsuit against the LHSAA to have 20 of those wins reinstated to his record. But after a series of appeals, the case was eventually dismissed in 2022.
During the 2013-15 seasons, the Patriots won 28 games. In an article released by the New Orleans Times-Picayune, LHSAA communications director Vincent Cacioppo remarked the original sanctioning form listed 30 games to be forfeited, and that number was given to the National Federation of High School Associations to use for its official record books.
NFHS assistant communications director Chris Boone also confirmed to the Times-Picayune that J.T. Curtis Jr. had 585 wins at the start of the season. With six wins already this season, Curtis currently has 591 wins, making him 30 wins short of the national record of 621 held by the late John McKissick, who coached at South Carolina school Summerville.
In remarks to the Times-Picayune, J.T. Curtis Jr. remarked earlier on Wednesday that he was taken by surprise regarding the LHSAA’s announcement.
“I don’t know how to respond,” Curtis said in the interview. “I’d rather not comment about it until after the season is over. I find it to be disingenuous at this point.”
Curtis added his main focus now is to get his Patriots ready for their game on Friday against Edna Karr, ranked No. 1 in the latest SBLive Louisiana rankings. He added beyond this week, his sole focus is to get the Patriots ready for the postseason.
Photo of John Curtis coach J.T. Curtis Jr. by Parker Waters, Crescent City Sports
-- Buck Ringgold | buck@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveLA
