A Salute to the Late John McKisisick
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A Salute To The Late John McKisisck As The 2026 Football Season In SC Kicks-Off
Moncks Corner—With the beginning of each new football season, I catch myself dwelling on the close relationship I was blessed to have had with the late John McKiccick of Summerville.
We met on my very first day of high school in 1969, as a freshman at Summerville High School, when I had to prove to my English teacher (Janice Hilton) that I could walk down to Coach McKissick’s office, just minutes before his important Monday afternoon practice, and schedule an appointment with him, to hopefully write my first story ever about him, and the Greenville football team. Three months later, the Green Wave would win a state title over the Easley Green Wave!
Ms. Hilton’s charge to me was rather blunt. “No appointment, and you are not going to be on the school newspaper,” said Ms. Hilton, who just happened to be my home room teacher, by an act of God. “I need to know that you can follow instructions and meet deadlines.”
Four days earlier, I had left the John de la Howe Children’s Home in McCormick, SC, after three years, with a deep appreciation to an older sister (Sue George) who answered a call from God to take me in and help direct me towards a better life.
When I knocked on “Coaches” office door that afternoon, I was nervous now seeing the “The Coach” through my eyes as a young boy, I was truly a deer in head lights. No words were coming out of mouth, but I was trying hard to say something. and just when “Coach” was about to shut the door on me, and my dreams, God intervened once again.
What I said to influence “Coach” from not closing the door completely, suddenly got his full attention. The words God put in my mouth prevented the door from being closed to me. I honesty have never been able to recall what those words were, but they were very clear to “Coach” I can assure you. God rescued me yet again, in that moment, and I finally got some words out and “Coach” seemed stunned about what I had said. Coach asked to me to come sit at his desk and then he asked me about what he had just heard.me say.
“Young man you just said it was important for you to get to know me, because one day I am going to be the winningest coach of all time, and if you didn’t get an interview, you could not be on the school newspaper and you wanted to get to know me, and my football team better,” said Coach, still wondering about the words that God had put in my mouth.
Coach told me that what he heard come out of my mouth must stay between him and I, and that it would remain our big secret. He then called me his new little buddy. The next day he brought 16 years of scrap books his wife had started keeping on his career for me to study. He put a card table against his desk, and I was welcome to eat lunch with him any time, and I often did.
“Coach” invited me to a football practice the next day. I often rode away games with the team. No doubt in my mind that our awesome God made our relationship happen. God is great, all the time!
The next morning, Ms. Hilton called the roll and, then without hesitation, asked me if I was able to get an interview with the “Coach.” When I told her it was a struggle at first, but I was able to finally get some words out, and that “Coach” invited me into his office, and we talked so long he was late for the first time to one of his practices! I told her I was having lunch with the “Coach” that day and that he had placed a card desk against his desk and that is where I would be reviewing 16 years of scrap books on his career. I also told her that I was now a new little buddy to “Coach.”
“Well, young man, you are now the newest member of the Pine Log school newspaper,” she said, and those words brought pure joy to my heart.
Years later, I had the honor of helping “Coach” and his late wife Joan, write two books on his historic coaching career. The other day I revisited one of the books and here is some advice that might bode well for younger head coaches, just starting their lives in the coaching profession.
These are the words from “Coach” himself:
“I am convinced that good communication has played a large part in any success we have had at Summerville. The ability to communicate and teach our ideas to our players has been a key point in our success. One has to be able to explain strategy, so students can understand-not only how to execute, but why. Then we go from the chalk board inside, to the practice fields outside, and let the players execute in real live drills action what we have shown them or drawn up with the grease pen.
When they see the plan working through their own efforts in practice, they can usually successfully execute the same results in a game. I am convinced, with few exceptions, that athletes rarely perform in games what they haven’t first mastered in practice.” –John McKissick.
Good luck to all 265-varsity public and independent schools playing high school football in the state of South Carolina this season. Make some memories for the scrap books of life!
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