Kansas Shrine Bowl
The Kansas Shrine Bowl has announced the selection of Randall Zimmerman, Junction City High School, and Andrew Gantenbein, Osage City High School, to serve as the head coaches for the 54th Kansas Shrine Bowl on Saturday, June 26, 2027. The head coaches are selected from the group of assistant coaches from the previous year’s game after a vote from the previous year’s coaching staff, camp directors and support staff. The 54th Kansas Shrine Bowl will be held on Saturday, June 26, 2027, at Welch Stadium on the campus of Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas.
The 2027 game will mark the 10th Kansas Shrine Bowl coaching appearance for Randall Zimmerman, and his fourth as the West Head Coach, both of which are the most all-time for any Kansas Shrine Bowl coach. Coach Zimmerman has served on the Kansas Shrine Bowl coaching staff previously as an assistant in 1988, 1995, 2009, 2015, 2021, and 2026. His previous head coaching stints came in 1996, 2010, and 2016. Coach Zimmerman is entering his 33rd year as the Head Coach at Junction City High School, where he has compiled an overall record of 205-112. Including his previous coaching stops at Phillipsburg and Salina Sacred Heart, Coach Zimmerman’s 237 career wins rank 6th amongst all active Kansas High School coaches. Randall and his wife, Stefanie, have four adult children, Rindi, Ty, Tate and Rylee. His son, Ty Zimmerman, was a 2009 Kansas Shrine Bowl West All-Star before an All-American career at Kansas State University that included becoming the first four-time all-conference player in Wildcat history.
“I am very much looking forward to working with, all involved, to ensure the 2027 Shrine Bowl is a very positive and successful experience for all,” said Randall Zimmerman. “It is a great humbling honor to be chosen to lead the West squad in ’27 from the great coaches involved in ’26. FOR THE KIDS!”
The East team will be led by Osage City High School Head Coach Andrew Gantenbein. Coach Gantenbein will be on the Kansas Shrine Bowl sidelines for the third time and his first as the Head Coach, his previous assistant coach appearances came in 2021 and 2026. The upcoming 2026 season will mark his 18th at Osage City High School, where he has compiled an overall record of 112-61. Coach Gantenbein is Osage City High School’s all-time wins leader while leading the Indians to their first ever sectional championship in 2025. Andrew and his fiancé, Amanda Erickson, have five children, Kaityn, Lucas, Taber, Kayley, and Ava. His son, Lucas Gantenbein, served on the 2026 Kansas Shrine Bowl East staff as a team manager.
“It's a tremendous honor to be selected as the East head coach for the 2027 Shrine Bowl. The Shrine Bowl is such a special event, and I'm very thankful to be part of it once again,” said Andrew Gantenbein. “I look forward to working with some of the best players and coaches in the state of Kansas. We'll all be doing it for a great cause: raising money for the Shriners kids. Go East!”
The East team won the 2026 Kansas Shrine Bowl, 14-7, the second win in the last three years for the East to make the all-time series 32-19-2 in favor of the West. The 2027 game returns to Emporia, where the East has won each of the last three games played at Welch Stadium and five of the seven all-time games played on the campus of Emporia State University. The 2027 Kansas Shrine Bowl will be played at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 26, 2027.
“We are excited to have both Coach Zimmerman and Coach Gantenbein lead our 2027 Kansas Shrine Bowl teams,” said Kansas Shrine Bowl Executive Director, Brice Kesler. “The football coaching accolades for both men are outstanding, but more importantly, these two men are the perfect leaders to represent the cause at the heart of the Kansas Shrine Bowl. Their long, successful, tenures at their respective schools speak volumes for the type of role models they are and our 2027 all-stars will be very fortunate to have an opportunity to be mentored and coached by these two great men.”