South Carolina’s football coaching icon John McKissick died on Thanksgiving Day at the age of 93 at his home under hospice care the Dorchester County coroner told The Post and Courier. McKissick was the winningest football coach at any level. He took over at Summerville High School in 1952 and coached there until his retirement in 2014. In his 62 seasons with the Green Wave, McKissick compiled a record of 621-155-13 including 10 state championships.

McKissick set the national record for coaching victories in 1993 at 406. He earned his 500th win in 2003, and reached the 600 win mark in 2012. He’s a member of the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame and the National High School Sports Hall of Fame. He was presented with the Order of the Palmetto in 1986.

McKissick was born in Greenwood in 1926 and moved to Kingstree at an early age. He graduated from Kingstree High in 1944. After serving in World War II, McKissick attended what was then Brevard Junior College in North Carolina and then Presbyterian College where he graduated in 1951.

The football field at Summerville High School is named in McKissick’s honor, and his grandson Joe Call currently serves as the head coach of the Green Wave.