400 wins and counting.

Upper St. Clair High School football coach Jim Render picked up career win No. 400 last week, a 16-14 triumph over Peters Township.

Render has been head coach at USC for 40 years. He is in his 49th year as a high school head coach overall.

Let’s put his 400 wins and longevity at USC in perspective.

Render’s win total — he also has 138 losses and six ties — ranks 18th among active high school grid coaches in the United States. He ranks 23rd in career wins in American high school football histtory.

John McKissick, who coached 63 years (1952-2014) for Summerville, S.C., is high school football’s all-time win leader with 620.

John Curtis of River Ridge, La., is the leading active coach in victories with 569. Curtis is in his 49th year of coaching and has won a national record 26 state championships.

By comparison, Render has won two state titles and five WPIAL championships.

Since Render started at USC in 1978, Moniteau has had 14 head football coaches. Butler 11, Slippery Rock nine, Seneca Valley eight.

Mike King spent 19 years as Knoch coach while Ed Conto spent 18 years at Karns City. Despite that longevity, Karns City has had six head coaches and Knoch five since Render took the reins at USC.

Scott Heinauer is in his 27th year at Mars. Even with that, the Planets have had six head coaches during Render’s time with the Panthers.

With a record like his, one might think Render has sent numerous players to the NFL through the years. Only two come to mind — former Steelers punter John Bruno and Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee. The latter had a big game as a running back against Butler years ago.

Render wins through old-school football — hard-nosed defense and a ball-control running game. He takes pride in the fact that many of his players have become doctors, lawyers, etc.

One, Doug Whaley, became general manager of the Buffalo Bills.

Four hundred wins, 49 years and still going, 14 years after retiring as a teacher.

Now that’s a football coach.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle