USD Men's Basketball 2008-2009

M IKE BURNS

First Season, Assistant Coach

Mike Burns enters his first year as an assistant coach on Bill Grier's staff. He replaces Walter Roese who left for a similar position with the Un iversity of Nebraska. "Mike is a terrific addition to our staff," stated USD head coach Bi ll Grier. "His years of recruiting experience and contacts will be a valuable asset in bu ilding our program. His personality will blend well with our staff and our players wi ll love his enthusiasm for the game. I also know people on campus and in the community will find Mike to be very engaging and genuine. When adding to the staff I felt it was im– portant to hire someone that is a seasoned recruiter as well as someone that would fit in wel l with the chemistry of our staff and players. Mike has those quali- ties. And, to have another person on our staff with Division I head coach- ing experience is such a plus''. Burns,46, led Community Colleges of Spokane this

past season to a No. 1 ranking in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges and a second-place fin ish at the NWAACC Tournament. His team finished with a 30-2 overa ll record and had a 24-game winning streak snapped with a one point loss in the title game against Yakima Valley CC. He was named the NWAACC Coach of the Year as well as the NWAACC East Region coach of the year. Prior to CCS, Burns spent three seasons (2004-07) as the head coach of the Eastern Washington University men's basketball program. In 2006-07 he led the Eagles to a 15-14 mark, whi le in 2005-06 EWU finished 15-15 overall and 9-5 in the Big Sky, good for a third place finish. That club led the Big Sky Conference and ranked third in NCAA Division I scoring with an aver– age of 84.2 points per game. The team also was sixth nationally in fie ld goal percentage (49.5%) and sixth in assists (17.7). Whi le at EWU, Burns coached Rodney Stuckey, who went on to be se– lected No. 15 overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. Burns spent the 2003-04 season as an assistant at Wash ington State University

under Dick Bennett after spending the previous three years at EWU as an assis- tant coach on Ray Giacoletti's staff. Whi le at Washington State, he helped the Cougars finish with six more victories than the previous season, and the team qualified for the conference tournament for the first time since 1990, when all 10 schools qua lified. Under Giacoletti at EWU, Burns served as the team's rec ruit– ing coordinator, coached perimeter players and was responsible for team defense. Eastern won 58 percent of its games overall (52-37) and 68 percent in conference play (30- 14) in that three-year stretch en route to garnering the school's first-ever berth in the National In– vitation Tournament in 2003 and first-ever NCAA Tournament berth the following season. In April 2002, following his second season at the helm of the Eagles, Giacoletti promoted Burns to associate head coach. Burns has deep roots in the state of Washington, having

graduated from Tyee High School and Central Washington Uni– versity. He held coaching stints at both of his alma maters, as well as Highline Commu– nity College in Des Moines, Wash. Burns and his wife, Mary, are the par– ents of two-year– old twins - Bode and Kylie.

Mike and Mary with their two-year-old twins, Bode and Kyl ie