BE’s Runey inducted into SC Athletic Administrators Hall of Fame

Bishop England High School’s Paul Runey has cemented his place in state history when it comes to longevity, success as a coach, and his leadership as an athletic director.

 

Now, he’s at the stage of his career where he’s hall of fame material.

 

Runey, who was inducted into the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2014, was recently inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Administrators Hall of Fame.

 

The South Carolina Athletic Administrators Association is the formal organization for the state’s athletic directors.

 

“It’s a big honor, a big honor for the school,” Runey said. “It was unexpected, but much appreciated. It’s an honor for the school. I don’t think there are too many schools that have two athletic directors in this hall of fame.”

 

Bill Warren, who replaced Runey as AD a couple of years ago, is a member of the hall of fame as well.

 

Runey is in his 51st year at BE and served as the school’s athletic director for 25 years.

 

He helped the school transition from its downtown campus to Daniel Island, a move that helped the Bishops become one of the state’s top athletic programs. It wasn’t unusual to find him taking tickets to flipping burgers to laying sod at a new football stadium during his tenure.

 

Runey coaches the girls’ basketball team and will begin the 2025-26 season with 829 career wins and needs 33 victories to become the Palmetto State’s all-time winningest girls’ basketball coach.

 

BISHOP ENGLAND SOCCER

The Bishop England boys’ soccer team is flourishing under second-year coach Brandon Costa.

 

The Bishops began this week’s action with a three-game winning streak and an 8-2 record. They were on top of the Region 6-AAAA standings with a 5-0 record heading into the April 1 game against Beaufort High School.

 

The team’s only losses were against Lucy Beckham and Daniel High schools, with both defeats coming on shootouts.

 

Costa is in his second year at the school, where he helped build BE’s strong tradition. He was a goalkeeper for coach Ed Khouri and was a member of three state championship teams from 2007 to 2009.

 

He played collegiately at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and then began a coaching career that included stops as an assistant at Lenoir-Rhyne University, Erskine College, Wando High School, and the Charleston Soccer Club.

 

The Bishops were 7-6 last spring and reached the second round of the Class AA playoffs before being eliminated by Academic Magnet in a two-overtime loss, one of a handful of losses that were close encounters.

 

This spring, the team has outscored foes 23-7, with junior Gabe Williams leading the squad with four goals while Lucas Loor added three scores.

 

Junior keeper Joed Rentas has 36 saves.

 

The Bishops lead the league with May River in second place at 4-1. Hilton Head is currently in third place with a 2-2 region mark.

 

The Bishops beat May River at Jack Cantey Stadium on March 18 and travel to Bluffton to play the River Sharks on April 4 in a game that will go a long way in deciding the region championship.