Jim Sutherland

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title: "Jim Sutherland" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1914-births", "1980-deaths", "american-football-halfbacks", "california-golden-bears-football-coaches", "usc-trojans-football-players", "washington-huskies-football-coaches", "washington-state-cougars-football-coaches", "high-school-football-coaches-in-california", "inglewood-high-school-(california)-alumni", "sportspeople-from-winnipeg", "coaches-of-american-football-from-california", "players-of-american-football-from-inglewood,-california", "players-of-american-football-from-santa-monica,-california", "canadian-emigrants-to-the-united-states", "united-states-navy-personnel-of-world-war-ii", "players-of-american-football-from-manitoba"] description: "American football player and coach (1914–1980)" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Sutherland" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American football player and coach (1914–1980) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox college coach"]

Field	Value
name	Jim Sutherland
birth_date
birth_place	Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
death_date
death_place	Hayden Lake, Idaho, U.S.
player_years1	1934–1936
player_team1	USC
player_positions	Halfback
coach_years1	1937–1940
coach_team1	Santa Monica HS (CA) (JV)
coach_years2	1941–1952
coach_team2	Santa Monica HS (CA)
coach_years3	1953–1954
coach_team3	California (backfield)
coach_years4	1955
coach_team4	Washington (offense)
coach_years5	1956–1963
coach_team5	Washington State
overall_record	37–39–4 (college)
79–13–3 (high school)
embed	yes
allegiance
branch	United States Navy
battles	World War II
serviceyears
::

| name = Jim Sutherland | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada | death_date = | death_place = Hayden Lake, Idaho, U.S. | alma_mater = | player_years1 = 1934–1936 | player_team1 = USC | player_positions = Halfback | coach_years1 = 1937–1940 | coach_team1 = Santa Monica HS (CA) (JV) | coach_years2 = 1941–1952 | coach_team2 = Santa Monica HS (CA) | coach_years3 = 1953–1954 | coach_team3 = California (backfield) | coach_years4 = 1955 | coach_team4 = Washington (offense) | coach_years5 = 1956–1963 | coach_team5 = Washington State | overall_record = 37–39–4 (college) 79–13–3 (high school) | bowl_record = | tournament_record = | championships = | awards = | coaching_records = | module = | embed = yes | allegiance = | branch = United States Navy | rank = | battles = World War II | unit = | serviceyears = | awards = James Swanson Sutherland (August 20, 1914 – June 21, 1980) was an American football player and coach. He was the head coach at Washington State University in Pullman from 1956 to 1963, with a record in eight seasons. An innovator, Sutherland ran a prototypical run-and-shoot offense at WSU in the early 1960s.

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sutherland moved from Canada to southern California at age nine and graduated from Inglewood High School in 1933. He attended the University of Southern California (USC) and was a halfback for the Trojans from 1934 to 1936, listed at and 184 lb.

After graduating from USC in 1937, Sutherland stayed in the Los Angeles area and became a football and track coach at Santa Monica High School. He was its head football coach from 1941 to 1952, with the exception of three years that he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II; his record at SMHS

Sutherland became a college assistant in 1953 at the University of California in Berkeley under Pappy Waldorf for two years, then moved to the University of Washington in Seattle in 1955 under head coach John Cherberg.

In his final season at WSU in 1963, Sutherland's salary was $17,500, near the top for West Coast coaches.

Following an extended illness, Sutherland died in 1980 at age 65 at his home in Hayden Lake, Idaho, and was buried in Coeur d'Alene.

Head coaching record

| name = Washington State Cougars | conf = Pacific Coast Conference | startyear = 1956 | endyear = 1958 | championship = | year = 1956 | name = Washington State | overall = 3–6–1 | conference = 2–5–1 | confstanding = 7th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no | championship = | year = 1957 | name = Washington State | overall = 6–4 | conference = 5–3 | confstanding = 4th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no | championship = | year = 1958 | name = Washington State | overall = 7–3 | conference = 6–2 | confstanding = 2nd | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no | name = Washington State Cougars | conf = Independent | startyear = 1959 | endyear = 1961 | championship = | year = 1959 | name = Washington State | overall = 6–4 | conference = | confstanding = | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no | championship = | year = 1960 | name = Washington State | overall = 4–5–1 | conference = | confstanding = | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no | championship = | year = 1961 | name = Washington State | overall = 3–7 | conference = | confstanding = | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no | name = Washington State Cougars | conf = Athletic Association of Western Universities | startyear = 1962 | endyear = 1963 | championship = | year = 1962 | name = Washington State | overall = 5–4–1 | conference = 1–1 | confstanding = 3rd | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no | championship = | year = 1963 | name = Washington State | overall = 3–6–1 | conference = 1–1 | confstanding = T–3rd | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no | name = Washington State | overall = 37–39–4 | confrecord = 15–12–1 | overall = 37–39–4 | bowls = no | poll = no | polltype = | legend = no

References

References

1. Johnson, Bob. (December 6, 1963). "WSU in market for new coach". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
2. (December 6, 1963). "Sutherland out as grid coach". Eugene Register-Guard.
3. (December 6, 1963). "Sutherland out as football coach at Washington State". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
4. Missildine, Harry. (June 24, 1980). "WSU's Jim Sutherland - one of football's great inventors". Spokesman-Review.
5. Missildine, Harry. (June 25, 1980). "Coach Sutherland saved his last invention for his final victory". Spokesman-Review.
6. "Football: All-Time Lettermen, P-S". USC Athletics.
7. (January 18, 1956). "Sutherland signed for Cougar post". Ellensburg Daily Record.
8. (January 18, 1956). "Sutherland named WSC coach; Ex-U. of Washington aide gets grid job". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
9. Ripton, Ray. (October 13, 1988). "A players' coach : Santa Monica's Tebb Kusserow believes football is a chance for young men to know themselves". Los Angeles Times.
10. (January 18, 1956). "Sutherland named WSC coach". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
11. (January 18, 1956). "WSC hires Sutherland". Eugene Register-Guard.
12. (December 6, 1963). "Sutherland through as grid coach at Washington State". Bend Bulletin.
13. (April 3, 1968). "Lincoln-Mercury auto dealership is changed". Spokesman-Review.
14. (October 9, 1968). "Car firm builds winning 'team'". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
15. (June 24, 1980). "Football". Milwaukee Sentinel.
16. (June 24, 1980). "Sutherland, James S.". Spokesman-Review.
17. (June 24, 1980). "Jim Sutherland, former WSU coach, dead at 65 following long illness". Lewiston Morning Tribune.

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