Red Devils coach to lead SC in Shrine Bowl

LIBERTY — Liberty High School announced on Friday their own Head Football Coach Paul Sutherland has been named the head coach of the South Carolina team for the 2025 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas.

This prestigious appointment highlights Sutherland’s remarkable career and his unwavering commitment to excellence in high school football, School District of Pickens County (SDPC) officials said.

Shrine Bowl history

According to records, the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, established in 1937, is the oldest high school football all-star game in the nation. Each year, the top senior players from South Carolina and North Carolina face off in a game that showcases the very best in high school football talent.

Shrine Bowl fans are familiar with the event’s logo. The image of a football player walking with a young girl appears on game posters, billboards, T-shirts and on the event’s website. It’s an iconic image that tells the story of the special bond between college football and Shriners Children’s.

​In 1974, a 2-year-old patient named Nicole received care at Shriners Hospitals for Children – San Francisco (later Shriners Children’s Northern California). She was born with Holt-Oram syndrome, a genetic condition that affects bones in the arms and hands. For Nicole, this meant that her thumbs had not fully developed. To provide more functionality, surgeons removed her thumbs and repositioned her index fingers in their place. This procedure would allow Nicole to comb her hair, button a shirt, hold a cup and be independent.

​On the same day, she was recovering from her first surgery, football players from the 1974 East-West Shrine Game visited the hospital. A tradition during the week of events leading up to the big football game, the visit allows players to interact with patients and learn more about Shriners Children’s.

​One of the players, Mike Esposito, noticed Nicole because she appeared scared and was crying. Esposito took her hand to calm her down, and they walked down the hallway together. A photographer from a local newspaper noticed the scene and snapped a photo of the two new friends.

​The original newspaper image of Nicole and Mike Espoisito was taken by Ken Yimm, Peninsula Times-Tribune, at the East-West Shrine Game players visit to Shriners Children’s in 1974.

A testament to leadership

“Being selected as head coach is a testament to Coach Sutherland’s expertise, leadership and the respect he commands in the football community,” said school officials in a released statement.

Currently in his fifth year at Liberty, Sutherland’s career spans 25 years as a head coach and 40 years in education. His tenure at Liberty has been marked by success, including a record-breaking 2024 season where the Red Devils averaged the highest points per game in school history — and he earned his 150th career win.

Sutherland’s coaching resume also includes accolaids such as being named Region Coach of the Year (most recently in 2023 at Liberty) five times, SC Football Coaches Association AA Coach of the Year and a 29-game regular season winning streak at Pendleton High School.

This also isn’t Sutherland’s first trip to the Shrine Bowl, he was the offensive coordinator for the victorious 2014 South Carolina Shrine Bowl team.

Beyond the field, Sutherland’s dedication to student-athletes is evident in his role as a mentor and leader. He has coached over 75 players who advanced to collegiate football and several who achieved success in the NFL, according to the district.

“We are incredibly proud of Coach Sutherland’s accomplishments,” said SDPC and Liberty High School officials. “(We) look forward to cheering him on in December as he leads South Carolina’s top athletes in the 2025 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas!”