Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League

 
Before jumping into the battle that is Friday night football in Western Pennsylvania, Jim Render began his head coaching career in Carrolton, Ohio in 1970. Nearly half a century later, he proudly walked away from the game as the WPIAL's winningest all-time head coach. First, he reached landmark win number 400 in August 2018 when his Panthers topped neighboring Peters Township becoming just the 29th coach in America to reach that milestone. Then, Render called it a career following his 49th campaign having rolled up 406 victories; the lion's share at powerhouse Upper Saint Clair High School. Along the way came the 1989 and 2006 PIAA state football championships, five WPIAL titles, six more league championship game appearances, 23 conference titles, and 38 playoff appearances all at USC since 1979. His combined record of 406-141-6 between Carrolton, Uniontown (where he guided the Red Raiders for seven seasons), and Upper Saint Clair places Jim 25th on the national all-time list. He has enjoyed one of the most distinguished and successful careers of any coach in any sport in WPIAL history while turning the Panthers into one of the most respected high school football programs in the country. In his playing days, he was the team captain and a 1959 All-Ohio quarterback at Dover High School. After starting his collegiate career at Northwestern, Jim graduated from Wittenberg University and played on their 1962 and 1963 National Championship football teams. He set school and Ohio Conference records as a place-kicker. After graduation, he became an assistant at Stanton Local High School then at East Liverpool High School in Ohio, simultaneously earning his Master's degree in Administration at West Virginia University. Coach Render is already a member of the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Hall of Fame, the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and he has been recognized with the Lou Holtz Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award.