Byrnes is turning to its past to spark its future, hiring former Rebels quarterback Shuler Bentley as the program’s next offensive coordinator.
The move comes after a 21-0 playoff loss to Dutch Fork in the 2025 season finale, when Byrnes was limited to 113 total yards of offense and offensive coordinator Jordan Durrah stepped away from coaching. For head coach Reggie Shaw, the loss underscored the need to revive the high-powered offense that once defined the program.
Twelve years earlier, another playoff defeat to the Silver Foxes, a 31-21 loss in 2013, marked the end of Bentley’s playing career at quarterback. Now, Shaw is betting that the former Byrnes signal-caller can help restore the Rebels’ offensive identity from the sideline.
“I am excited about the addition of Shuler Bentley as OC and QB coach,” Shaw said. “He brings great knowledge and experience in developing quarterbacks and the passing game. He has also been part of some great college staffs and offenses, which have expanded his knowledge base and broadened his experience. He played at a high level here at Byrnes and understands this program and what it takes to be successful. I believe we made a home-run hire.”
Bentley returns to Byrnes with a resume that blends elite production as a player with a steadily growing coaching background. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in South Carolina high school football history, Bentley finished his career as Byrnes’ all-time leading passer and the state’s career leader in total touchdowns (178). He also holds the state record for touchdown passes in a single season with 71.
During his senior year, Bentley completed 293 passes for 5,024 yards, led the Rebels to a 12-2 record and a Region II-4A title, and helped guide Byrnes to a second straight Class 4A Division I state semifinal appearance. A two-time South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year, Bentley was an all-region selection and played in both the North-South and Offense-Defense All-American Bowl games.
Over his high school career, he completed 840 passes for 13,322 yards and won back-to-back state championships in 2010 and 2011, becoming a full-time starter as a sophomore. His success placed him alongside former Byrnes standouts Willy Korn and Marcus Lattimore as multiple-time Gatorade honorees.
Bentley continued his playing career at the collegiate level, spending three seasons at Old Dominion before transferring to Murray State to finish his career. While at Old Dominion, he was part of the Monarchs team that qualified for the Bahamas Bowl during the 2016 season.
After his playing days ended, Bentley transitioned quickly into coaching, beginning his career at Troy University as an offensive graduate assistant working primarily with quarterbacks. He later joined Coastal Carolina as an offensive analyst and quarterbacks assistant, helping the Chanticleers reach the Cure Bowl in 2021 and the Birmingham Bowl in 2022.
Most recently, Bentley served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Montgomery Catholic High School in Alabama after his last stint in the collegiate ranks at Charleston Southern, where he has worked as the quarterbacks coach since the spring of 2023.
Bentley also carries deep football roots. He is the son of longtime coach Bobby Bentley, a former Byrnes head coach who is now coaching high school football in Tennessee, and the brother of Jake Bentley, the head coach at Nation Ford High School. A Duncan native and Byrnes graduate, Bentley and his wife, Jessica, are back home.