A native of
Coupar Angus in
Scotland, Sutherland got his start in football by playing
end at the
University of Pittsburgh, commonly known as Pitt, under legendary coach
Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner. Sutherland was named an
All-American and played on Pitt's national championship teams in 1915 and 1916. Sutherland also played on Pitt's undefeated 1917 team. The 1917 team was known as "The Fighting Dentists" because on occasion every position was filled by dental students. The dental students on the 1917 team included Sutherland,
Katy Easterday,
Skip Gougler,
"Tank" McLaren and
"Jake" Stahl. Sutherland also lettered in
wrestling and captained the track and field team at Pitt for which he specialized in the
hammer throw,
discus, and
shot put. He was also a member of the
Sigma Chi fraternity, Psi Omega national dental fraternity,
Omicron Delta Kappa, and the Druids Society, a secret society at the university. Sutherland graduated from the
University of Pittsburgh's School of Dentistry, where he also held a professorship in the instruction of bridge and crown.
University of Pittsburgh In 1924, Sutherland replaced "Pop" Warner, his former coach and mentor, as head coach at Pitt. Sutherland, who was described as "a national hero" in a
Saturday Evening Post article, became a highly admired and influential coach at the university while compiling a record of 111–20–12. On offense, he ran a
double-wing formation known as the "
Sutherland Scythe". He was known for his calm and direct demeanor, never shouting or ranting to motivate his team. During his tenure, Sutherland's teams were named Eastern football champions seven times including 1925, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, and 1937. During this time, Pitt appeared in four
Rose Bowl games (1928, 1930, 1933, and 1937) and turned down a bid for the 1938 Rose Bowl. Of these, the University of Pittsburgh officially recognizes five of those years as national championship seasons (1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, and 1937), After years of struggling with the university for sustained financial support, Sutherland resigned in 1938 because the school's Chancellor,
John Gabbert Bowman, instituted a policy of de-emphasis for the football program, eliminating athletic scholarships, student athlete stipends, and the recruiting funds. Bowman's moves, which resulted in Sutherland's departure, were controversial among students and supporters of the football program. As of 2009, his career coaching record of 144–28–14 in 20 seasons at the collegiate level, an .812 winning percentage, is the 25th best winning percentage in all divisions of college football and 11th best among coaches from the top division, currently known as the
Division I FBS. His .812 winning percentage is also the 5th best such mark during the first 20 years of any coaches' career. He is also tied for the 23rd fewest games to reach 100 victories, accomplished in his 132nd game as coach.
Professional football and military service Sutherland later coached in the National Football League with the
Brooklyn Dodgers for two seasons, 1940–41, before leaving the team to serve the United States during World War II. During the war, Sutherland served in the
United States Navy and achieved the rank of
Lieutenant commander. Upon returning to the United States, Sutherland landed with the
Pittsburgh Steelers, where he was head coach and team vice president. He was flown back to Pittsburgh for further treatment. An exploratory surgery was required to determine whether he was suffering from a hemorrhage or a tumor. He is interred in Pittsburgh's
Homewood Cemetery. ==Honors==