SC high school football coach honored by Panthers in surprise ceremony

CHARLOTTE — A South Carolina football coach went from a local hero to the winner of an NFL award when the Panthers named him High School Coach of the Year.

Coach Aaron Brand is the head coach of Irmo High School’s football team in Columbia, South Carolina.

On Friday, he was surprised by players and family when the Panthers presented him with a commemorative trophy and $2,000 grant check.

In December, he won the Carolina Panthers High School Coach of the Week and received another $1,000 and a commemorative football.

“Irmo High School’s Aaron Brand has sustained excellence and contributions to high school football in our region have made significant impacts,” said Carolina Panthers Director of Community Relations Riley Fields. “The Carolina Panthers and GMC are honored to name Coach Brand as the team’s High School Coach of the Year and nominate him for the national Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award.”

In the past five seasons, Brand led the high school team to consecutive winning seasons and helped rejuvenate a program that had not won more than seven games in a single season since 2010.

In 2023, Brand led Irmo to a perfect 10-0 record during the regular season, which marked the first time the team posted an undefeated regular season since 2002.

The grant check goes towards the Irmo High School Athletics program.

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