Burns enters his third season with the UTEP Football program and his first as the Director of Recruiting and Director of Player Personnel. Burns spent the past two seasons (2018-19) coaching the UTEP secondary and safeties. He has accumulated more than 30 years of collegiate coaching experience.
UTEP’s pass defense (198.9 yards per game) ranked fifth in Conference USA. The Miners also allowed the second least completions (203) and pass yards (2,387) in C-USA. UTEP opponents averaged 26.8 attempts per game, which ranked no. 1 in the league.Â
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Kahani Smith, who started all 12 games at the free safety position, led all UTEP defensive backs and ranked tied for second on the defense with 80 tackles in 2018. His 51 solo stops were second most on the team. Smith led the team in breakups (10) and tallied 4.5 tackles for loss. He received an invite to the Seattle Seahawks rookie minicamp.Â
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Justin Rogers tallied the second most tackles by a UTEP safety with 53. He ranked third on the team with six pass breakups and added an interception.
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Michael Lewis made 11 starts at the strong safety position and registered 49 tackles with four breakups.
Burns coached Archbishop Mitty HS for four seasons, including two winning campaigns. Burns served as the defensive coordinator in 2014, where he helped the team finish 8-5. He was then promoted to head coach for the Monarch (2015-2017). While as head coach, the Monarchs went 18-17 overall and reached the Central Coast Section playoffs in each of his three seasons, including a championship appearance in 2016.
Burns served as an assistant special teams coach for the Oakland Raiders from 2012-2013. During the 2012 season, the Raiders ranked tied for fifth in the league in field goals connecting on 31-of-34. Oakland also rated ninth in the league in punting with 81 punts for 3,196 yards (39.0 avg.). In 2013, the Raiders once again ranked in the top seven in punting with 84 punts for 4,107 yards (47.8 avg.).
Burns has been both an offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator at the collegiate level and served as head coach at Tulsa for three seasons from 2000-02.
Burns served as the secondary coach at Ole Miss in 2011. Under his guidance Charles Sawyer garnered College Football News All-America honorable mention and was a finalist for the Conerly Trophy, which goes to the top football player in the state of Mississippi. He rated second on the team in tackles (70) and ranked 23rd in the nation in interceptions (4-101 yards) and finished third in the SEC with 13 breakups In his first career start as a free safety versus BYU, Sawyer posted seven tackles (three solo) and returned an interception 96 yards for a touchdown.
Burns directed a heralded Kansas State secondary in 2010. Under his watch, safety Ty Zimmerman was named a Freshman All-American, while DBs Stephen Harrison and Terrance Sweeney earned All-Big 12 honors.
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Prior to his stint in Manhattan, Burns spent six seasons on the staff at San Jose State, including three as defensive coordinator. In 2009, the Spartans finished 22nd nationally in pass defense, and in 2008, Burns’ unit ranked in the top 20 nationally in tackles for loss (7th), passing defense (10th) and quarterback sacks (11). The Spartans also finished 21st nationally in both points allowed and turnover margin.
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The Spartans were 9-4 in 2006, which included wins over Stanford and New Mexico in the New Mexico Bowl, and finished with the most victories in a season for the program since 1987.
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As the cornerbacks coach, Burns mentored three NFL draft choices in his final three seasons at San Jose State. Dwight Lowery became San Jose State’s first two-time, first-team All-America selection and was a 2008 fourth-round pick of the New York Jets. Christopher Owens, a two-time All-WAC corner, was a 2009 third-round choice by Atlanta, while Coye Francies was taken in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. In all, Burns has coached 14 players who have gone on to have careers in the professional ranks.
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Burns was the head coach at Tulsa from 2000-02 where his teams were the basis for the Golden Hurricanes’ 2003 Humanitarian Bowl appearance. His first team in 2000 went 5-7 to give Tulsa its most wins in the previous eight seasons.
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In Burns’ two seasons at his alma mater Arkansas, the Razorback defense improved from a national ranking of 103rd to within the top 20 in total defense. During his tenure, Arkansas made consecutive bowl appearances, and following the 1998 campaign, Burns was one of five finalists for the Frank Broyles Award, given annually to the nation’s top assistant coach.
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Prior to Arkansas, he spent five seasons under John Robinson at USC with the final four as defensive coordinator. There, his defensive units ranked fourth nationally in scoring defense in 1994, first in the Pac-10 in scoring defense in 1995, second in total defense in 1996 and first in rushing defense in 1997.
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Burns also coordinated the defense at Pacific (1985-88) and spent time at Rice as defensive pass coordinator and special teams coordinator (1989-92).
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A native of Hurst, Texas, Burns was a three-time letterwinner at Arkansas (1980-82). He and his wife, Yvonne, have three sons, K.C., Tanner and Davis.
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COACHING EXPERIENCE
2020: UTEP (Director of Recruiting/Director of Player Personnel)
2018-20: UTEP (Secondary/Safeties)
2015-17: Archbishop Mitty HS (Head Coach)
2014: Archbishop Mitty HS (Defensive Coordinator)
2012-13: Oakland Raiders (Special Teams Assistant)
2011: Ole Miss (Secondary)
2010: K-State (Secondary)
2004-09: San Jose State (Defensive Coordinator)
2000-02: Tulsa (Head Coach)
1998-1999: Arkansas (Defensive Coordinator)
1994-97: USC (Defensive Coordinator)
1993: USC (Secondary)
1989-92: Rice (Defensive Pass Coordinator/Special Teams)
1985-88: Pacific (Defensive Coordinator)
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