Burton Burns & Mark Ingram
Burns has been part of six of the top 10 offenses in Clemson history as running backs coach for the Tigers. Burns has tutored star runners such as 2005 ACC Rookie of the Year James Davis, Reggie Merriweather, Travis Zachery and Duane Coleman at Clemson and former New York Jet Jerald Sowell at Tulane. Three seasons ago, Davis led the Tigers with 1,187 rushing yards on 203 carries and scored 17 touchdowns, while freshman C.J. Spiller had 938 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. The Tigers averaged 5.7 yards per carry during the regular season. Sound familar?
A native of New Orleans, La., Burns had spent the last eight seasons with head coach Tommy Bowden at Clemson after a five-year stint at Tulane that included a 12-0 season in 1998. Now he is sporting a National Chanpionship ring after two seasons with Nick Saban.
Over 13 seasons as a college assistant coach, Burns has regularly produced versatile running backs that have been effective in every phase of the game. His players have proven to be equally effective as pass catchers, as well as in the running game.
Burns spent nine seasons as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Saint Augustine High School in New Orleans, La., before joining Bowden's staff at Tulane. Burns helped lead Saint Augustine to district titles in 1987, 1992 and 1993, his second stint at the school. Burns' first experience as a coach also was at Saint Augustine, where he served as an assistant from 1977-79 and helped the school win three more district championships on the way to consecutive state titles in 1978-79. Burns also coached at New Orleans' Booker T. Washington High School in 1980 before a five-year stint as an assistant coach at Southern University in Baton Rouge from 1981-85.
As a player, Burns played fullback for four seasons (1971-75) at the University of Nebraska under head coach Tom Osborne. A member of three Cornhuskers teams that won at least nine games each season, Burns participated in the Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Sugar Bowl as a player. He earned a bachelor's degree in education from Nebraska in 1976.
Coach Burns is no stranger to big games, and he's no stranger to coaching a big time player like Heisman Trophy Winner, Mark Ingram. How many coaches have that on their resume? How many coaches has four or five freshman running backs that has had the success as Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, C.J. Spiller, and James Davis?
Talent or no talent, freshmen need teaching, and both Tommy Bowden and UA coach Nick Saban said Burns’ background as a player at the position has helped him become one of the best teachers in the ball-carrying business. Ingram has said Burns can point out where cutback lanes will be, and how to look for them before they materialize.
"That’s one of those positions where guys have instincts for it, and when you have a coach that has that (instinct), they can kind of see it like the (player) sees it, and I think that is very, very helpful," said Saban.
So, we wait for another year to unfold knowing that the Tide has the running game well in hand under the watchful eye of Coach Burns. RTR
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A native of New Orleans, La., Burns had spent the last eight seasons with head coach Tommy Bowden at Clemson after a five-year stint at Tulane that included a 12-0 season in 1998. Now he is sporting a National Chanpionship ring after two seasons with Nick Saban.
Over 13 seasons as a college assistant coach, Burns has regularly produced versatile running backs that have been effective in every phase of the game. His players have proven to be equally effective as pass catchers, as well as in the running game.
Burns spent nine seasons as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Saint Augustine High School in New Orleans, La., before joining Bowden's staff at Tulane. Burns helped lead Saint Augustine to district titles in 1987, 1992 and 1993, his second stint at the school. Burns' first experience as a coach also was at Saint Augustine, where he served as an assistant from 1977-79 and helped the school win three more district championships on the way to consecutive state titles in 1978-79. Burns also coached at New Orleans' Booker T. Washington High School in 1980 before a five-year stint as an assistant coach at Southern University in Baton Rouge from 1981-85.
As a player, Burns played fullback for four seasons (1971-75) at the University of Nebraska under head coach Tom Osborne. A member of three Cornhuskers teams that won at least nine games each season, Burns participated in the Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Sugar Bowl as a player. He earned a bachelor's degree in education from Nebraska in 1976.
Coach Burns is no stranger to big games, and he's no stranger to coaching a big time player like Heisman Trophy Winner, Mark Ingram. How many coaches have that on their resume? How many coaches has four or five freshman running backs that has had the success as Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, C.J. Spiller, and James Davis?
Talent or no talent, freshmen need teaching, and both Tommy Bowden and UA coach Nick Saban said Burns’ background as a player at the position has helped him become one of the best teachers in the ball-carrying business. Ingram has said Burns can point out where cutback lanes will be, and how to look for them before they materialize.
"That’s one of those positions where guys have instincts for it, and when you have a coach that has that (instinct), they can kind of see it like the (player) sees it, and I think that is very, very helpful," said Saban.
So, we wait for another year to unfold knowing that the Tide has the running game well in hand under the watchful eye of Coach Burns. RTR
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