Winningest Football Coach: Hard Work Over 61 Years 'Paid Off'

About this sponsorship: In honor of the 60^thanniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary’s historic ascent of Mount Everest, Patch and Grape-Nuts are teaming up to highlight those who inspire people around them to climb their own mountains. 

They say winning isn't everything, but John McKissick doesn't have a lot of experience with anything else: The football coach at Summerville High School in South Carolina last year became the first in his position to win 600 games. With 61 years of service at Summerville High, 10 of those years ending in state championships, McKissick is the longest-serving high school coach, and he's not done yet.

Here, the coach talks about his career and its challenges.

Q: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve ever faced?

A: The biggest challenge I’ve ever faced was getting the job as head football coach at Summerville High School in a huge football-crazy town, following a successful coach who resigned to take a head coaching job at a small college.

Q: What inspired you to take on this challenge?

A: It was my first job as a head football coach and that had been my goal throughout my high school and college years. They took a chance on me, and I was determined to succeed and make them glad they’d hired me. That was in 1952 and 61 years later, I’m still here.

Q: Did you succeed?

A: I worked as hard as I could to succeed and it paid off.  I started out winning and thankfully, 61 years later, we’re still winning and I still love it. The boys here grow up wanting to play Green Wave football, so if they have the desire, all it takes is hard work and I’ve never been afraid of hard work and long hours. The result is well worth it. I am 86 now and still love my job and look forward to going to work every day. I have no desire to retire.

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