Irmo football coach receives unique honor from Carolina Panthers
Aaron Brand was rewarded for Irmo High’s breakthrough season.
The Irmo football coach was named the Carolina Panthers Coach of the Year on Friday at a surprise ceremony at the school.
Each NFL team selects one award winner. The Panthers’ winner comes from either North or South Carolina.
“I was just flabbergasted and overjoyed,” Brand said of the surprise news. “Anything to continue to want to make this place a place to want to be around. .Irmo High School has been good to be and I hope I can just pay them back a little bit. .This means everything to me.”
Brand now becomes the team’s nominee for the Don Shula National High School Coach of the Year Award.
There are two winners of the Don Shula award, one from an AFC team and one from the NFC. Those winners get to attend the 2024 Pro Bowl Games in Orlando, Florida on Feb. 4.
The Don Shula Award winners also receive $15,000 for their high school and a $10,000 cash award. The other nominees get $1,000 cash prize.
The Shula winners will be announced in the week prior to the 2024 Pro Bowl Games. The two winners also get to attend Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas the following week.
The Panthers also gave Brand a $2,000 check to benefit Irmo athletics. Brand and the team’s other coach of year candidates also attended the Panthers game against Atlanta last month.
Brand’s son, AJ, also spoke to the crowd in attendance Friday of the impact getting to play for his dad and what this season meant to him.
“This is a milestone season for us and big accomplishment for him,” said AJ, Irmo’s quarterback. “Me and the team just want to show him a little gratitude for all he has done for us.”
Brand just completed his fifth season as Yellow Jackets head coach and led Irmo to a 13-1 record and trip to the Class 4A Lower State championship. It was Irmo’s first semifinal trip since 2010 and most wins in a season since 2002.
Before Irmo, Brand spent five seasons as head coach for Vance High School in Charlotte. He went 55-18 and led the Cougars to the Class 4AA title game in 2018. It was the school’s first state championship appearance.
This story was originally published January 5, 2024 at 2:00 PM.
