John Thomas "J.T." Curtis Jr. (born 1947) is an American high school football coach for John Curtis Christian School. In 2023, he broke John McKissick’s record of 621 wins, securing his 622nd win against nationally recognized Edna Karr High School.https://highschool.si.com/news/2023/11/04/louisiana-high-school-football-edna-karr-stunned-by-john-curtis-christianc In 2010, he was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and in 2015, he was inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame.

As of September 22, 2026, his coaching record stands at 642 wins, 88 losses, and 6 ties in over 54 seasons. Family J.T. had three children with his late wife, Lydia. His eldest daughter, Joanna Fabacher, is married to Tommy Fabacher. They have two daughters, Reaghan and Rylee Fabacher. His son-in-law (Tommy) serves as an assistant coach at John Curtis.

J.T.’s second child is his son, John Thomas Curtis III (Johnny), who is married to, Dawn. They have three sons: John Thomas Curtis IV (Jay), Michael, and Jason. Johnny currently serves as Special Teams Coordinator at John Curtis and has previously served on staff at Ball State. Jay is also an assistant coach at John Curtis and Jason serves as a student assistant coach at LSU.

J.T.’s third child is Jeffrey (Jeff), who is also married and has five children: Anna, Abbi, Jeffrey Jr., Avery, and Jackson.

It was important to J.T.'s late wife, Lydia, to have a close-knit family, and in many photographs, he has one of his children or grandchildren by his side. J.T. has his sons and son-in-law serve as his assistant coaches over the past 30 years.

Early life

Curtis is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. He graduated from East Jefferson High School in Metairie, Louisiana in 1966, where he was an all-state and All-American offensive lineman for the school's football team. Curtis attended the University of Arkansas on a football scholarship for three years before transferring to Louisiana College in 1968, where he continued to play football.

Coaching career Curtis' father, John T. Curtis, Sr., founded John Curtis Christian School in River Ridge, Louisiana, in 1962, where he was named head football coach in 1969 at the age of 22. In his first season, the Patriots football team finished the year 0-10 and scored only two touchdowns the entire season. The following season, the Patriots made the playoffs, and by 1973, they had made their first appearance in the LHSAA quarterfinals. In 1975, Curtis led his team to the school's first football state championship, defeating Notre Dame High School of Crowley, Louisiana by a score of 13-12.

The team has won 28 state championships to date, the most of any high school football program in Louisiana history, far surpassing the team with the second-most championships, Haynesville High School in Haynesville, Louisiana, which holds 17 state championships.

J.T. Curtis is currently the winningest high school football coach in Louisiana history and the winningest American football coach in history. He achieved his 600th win, becoming only the second coach in the nation to ever do so, with a 37-16 win over Archbishop Shaw High School in 2021.

In 2012, the John Curtis football program was named the national champion by five national polls after going undefeated at 14-0 and defeating Evangel Christian Academy of Shreveport, Louisiana 35-13 in the LHSAA Class 2A state championship game. It was the first ever national title for Curtis and the Patriots football program and the first by a team from Louisiana since West Monroe High School was named national champion in 2000. The Patriots are also the only team from Louisiana to receive the honor since. In 2013, the Patriots football program was forced to forfeit 20 wins from 2013 to 2015, including their 2013 state championship, due to sanctions by the LHSAA around the eligibility of now former JCCS football player Willie Allen. Curtis and the school have maintained to date that there were no improprieties regarding Allen.

In his storied career, Curtis has coached 14 players who played in the NFL including Joe McKnight, Malachi Dupre, Duke Riley, Kenny Young, and Mike Stonebreaker among others. He has also coached dozens of high school All-Americans and players who went on to compete on the college level. He also had at least one player named first-team all-state every year from 1975 to 2019, a state record. The Patriots won five consecutive state championships, the only team in Louisiana to ever do so, from 2004 to 2008. They have also won four consecutive titles once (1996–99) and three consecutive titles twice (1979–81, 1983–85).

He has also won three state championships as the head baseball coach at John Curtis.

Head coaching record +YearTeamRegular SeasonDistrictStandingPlayoffOverallFinishJohn Curtis Christian School (1969–present)1969John Curtis 0-10 - - 0-0 0-10 Missed Playoffs1970John Curtis - - - 0-1 -L LSHAA 1A Regional1971John Curtis - - - 0-0 - Missed Playoffs1972John Curtis - - - 0-0 - Missed Playoffs1973John Curtis - - - 2-1 -L LSHAA 2A Quarterfinal1974John Curtis - - - 0-0 - Missed Playoffs1975John Curtis - -1st 5-0 -W LSHAA 2A Final1976John Curtis - -1st 4-1 -L LSHAA 2A Final1977John Curtis - - -5-0 -W LSHAA 2A Final1978John Curtis - -1st3-1 -L LSHAA 2A Semifinal1979John Curtis - -1st5-0 -W LSHAA 2A Final1980John Curtis - -1st5-0 -W LSHAA 2A Final1981John Curtis - -1st5-0 -W LSHAA 2A Final1982John Curtis - -1st4-1 -L LSHAA 2A Final1983John Curtis - -1st5-0 -W LSHAA 2A Final1984John Curtis - -1st5-0 -W LSHAA 2A Final1985John Curtis - -1st5-0 -W LSHAA 3A Final1986John Curtis - -1st4-1 -L LSHAA 3A Final1987John Curtis - -1st5-0 -W LSHAA 3A Final1988John Curtis - -1st5-0 -W LSHAA 3A Final1989John Curtis - -1st2-1 -L LSHAA 3A Quarterfinal1990John Curtis - -1st5-0 -W LSHAA 3A Final1991John Curtis - -1st2-1 -L LSHAA 4A Quarterfinal1992John Curtis - -1st1-1 -L LSHAA 4A Regional1993John Curtis - -1st5-0 -W LSHAA 4A Final1994John Curtis - -1st4-1 -L LSHAA 4A Final1995John Curtis - -1st2-1 -L LSHAA 4A Quarterfinal1996John Curtis - -1st5-0 -W LSHAA 4A Final1997John Curtis - -1st5-0 -W LSHAA 4A Final1998John Curtis - -1st5-0 -W LSHAA 4A Final1999John Curtis - -1st5-0 -W LSHAA 4A Final2000John Curtis - -1st4-1 -L LSHAA 4A Final2001John Curtis - - -5-0 -W LSHAA 4A Final2002John Curtis - -1st5-0 -W LSHAA 4A Final2003John Curtis - -1st4-1 -L LSHAA 4A Final2004John Curtis9-03-01st5-014-0W LSHAA 4A Final2005**John Curtis5-14-01st5-010-1W LSHAA 2A Final2006John Curtis9-04-01st5-014-0W LSHAA 2A Final2007John Curtis7-23-12nd5-012-2W LSHAA 2A Final2008John Curtis9-14-01st5-014-1W LSHAA 2A Final2009John Curtis9-07-01st4-113-1L LSHAA 2A Final2010John Curtis8-16-01st4-112-2L LSHAA 2A Final2011John Curtis9-06-01st5-014-0W LSHAA 2A Final2012John Curtis9-06-01st5-014-0W LSHAA 2A Final#2013John Curtis8-24-01st3-011-2W LSHAA DII Final2014John Curtis9-14-01st2-111-2L LSHAA DI Final2015John Curtis7-24-23rd1-18-3L LSHAA DI Semifinal2016John Curtis9-06-01st1-110-1L LSHAA DI Semifinal2017John Curtis9-16-01st2-111-2L LSHAA DI Final2018John Curtis10-06-01st3-013-0W LSHAA DI Final2019John Curtis9-15-12nd1-110-2L LSHAA DI Semifinal2020**John Curtis5-33-24th2-1^7-4^L LSHAA DI Semifinal2021**John Curtis4-34-23rd1-15-4L LSHAA DI Quarterfinal2022John Curtis8-25-12nd4-012-2W LSHAA DI Select Final2023John Curtis7-24-23rd1-18-3L LSHAA DI Select Quarterfinal2024John Curtis4-53-45th3-17-6L LSHAA DI Select Semifinal2025John Curtis7-25-23rd2-19-3L LSHAA DI Select Semifinal2026John Curtis1-1 - - -1-1John Curtis - - - 195-24640-91-6Total: - - - -640-90-6 *Hurricane Katrina shortened season **Covid-19 shortened season #National Champion ^Includes forfeits ^^Relinquished

Awards, recognition, records Most Consecutive State Championships (5) Most Consecutive State Title Game Appearances (14) Most Consecutive Games Without Being Shut Out (303) (National Record) 28x LHSAA Football State Champion 3x LHSAA Baseball State Champion 9x LFCA Coach of the Year 6x LSWA Coach of the Year 1964 Parade High School Football All-American 1992 inductee to the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame 1994 inductee to the Louisiana Christian University Athletic Hall of Fame 2010 inductee to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame 2015 inductee to the National High School Hall of Fame Named 1980s Coach of the Decade by the National Sports Foundation

State Championships 1975 LHSAA Class 2A (defeated Notre Dame, 13-12) 1977 LHSAA Class 2A (defeated Jonesboro-Hodge, 45-0) 1979 LHSAA Class 2A (defeated Patterson, 28-0) 1980 LHSAA Class 2A (defeated Jonesboro-Hodge, 21-3) 1981 LHSAA Class 2A (defeated E.D. White Catholic, 21-17 1983 LHSAA Class 2A (defeated Belle Chasse, 38-0) 1984 LHSAA Class 2A (defeated Ferriday, 23-7) 1985 LHSAA Class 3A (defeated Wossman, 28-0) 1987 LHSAA Class 3A (defeated Amite, 27-14) 1988 LHSAA Class 3A (defeated Washington-Marion, 14-7) 1990 LHSAA Class 3A (defeated Washington-Marion, 42-13) 1993 LHSAA Class 4A (defeated Wossman, 42-14) 1996 LHSAA Class 4A (defeated Crowley, 28-7) 1997 LHSAA Class 4A (defeated Eunice, 21-6) 1998 LHSAA Class 4A (defeated Eunice, 20-7) 1999 LHSAA Class 4A (defeated Capitol, 16-0) 2001 LHSAA Class 4A (defeated Baker, 30-0) 2002 LHSAA Class 4A (defeated O.P. Walker, 16-14) 2004 LHSAA Class 4A (defeated Northside, 29-14) 2005 LHSAA Class 2A (defeated St. Charles Catholic, 31-6 2006 LHSAA Class 2A (defeated St. Charles Catholic, 41-7 2007 LHSAA Class 2A (defeated St. James, 28-13) 2008 LHSAA Class 2A (defeated Evangel Christian, 35-14) 2011 LHSAA Class 2A (defeated Winnfield, 33-3) 2012 LHSAA Class 2A (defeated Evangel Christian, 35-13 2013 LHSAA Division II (defeated University Lab, 32-0) (Later forfeited) 2018 LHSAA Division I (defeated Catholic-Baton Rouge, 49-7) 2022 LHSAA Division I Select (defeated Brother Martin, 23-0)

References

External links John Curtis Christian School website