USD Men's Basketball 2009-2010

MIKE BURNS ASSISTANT COACH I SECOND SEASON

Mike Burns enters his second year as a full-time assistant coach on Bill Grier's staff. "Mike is a terrific addition to our staff," stated USD head coach Bill Grier."His yea rs of recruiting experience and contacts wil l be a valuable asset in building our program. His personality wi ll 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 important to hire someone that is a seasoned recruiter as well as someone that would fit in well with the chemistry of our staff and players. Mike has those qualities. And, to have another person on our staff with Division I head coaching experi– ence is such a plus''.

Burns, 47, led Community Colleges of Spokane in 2007-08 to a No. 1 ranking in the Northwest Ath letic Association of Community Colleges and a second-place finish at the NWAACC Tournament. His team finished with a 30-2 overall 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, and the NWAACC East Region coach of the year. Prior to CCS, Burns spent three seasons (2004-07) as the head coach of the Eastern Washing– ton University men's basketball program. In 2006-07 he led the Eagles to a 15-14 mark, wh ile 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 average of 84.2 points per game.The team also was sixth nationally in field goal percentage (49.5%) and sixth in assists (17.7). While at EWU, Burns coached Rodney Stuckey, who went on to be selected 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 yea rs at EWU as an assistant coach on Ray Giacoletti's staff. Whi le at Wash ington State, he helped the Cougars finish with six more victo– ries than the previous season, and the team qualified for the conference tournament for the first time since 1990, when all 10 schools qualified. Under Giacoletti at EWU, Burns served as the team's recruiting coordinator, coached perim– eter 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 Invitation 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 Washi ngton University. He held coaching stints at both of his alma maters, as well as Highline Community College in Des Moines, Wash.

Burns and hiswife, Mary, are the parents of two-year-old twins - Bode and Kylie.

Mike and Mary with kids Kylie and Bode.