The SEC coaches one-sided meet-and-greet marches on, as we’re nearly halfway through March, which means we’re drawing near to the dark hour of baseball baseball baseball baseball baseball and nothing else and it will be horrible. The only joy I really get out of baseball anymore is when one of those asshat teams like the Marlins slips into the playoffs and wins the World Series.
And not because I care about the underdog aspect, but because of the hand-wringing and wailing by the people who enjoy wrapping themselves in a cocoon of long talks and poetic waxing on baseball’s tradition and how America is a greater place because of it. THAT is when I love baseball.
Anyway, on with the show around here.
Name: Burton Burns
Position: Associate head coach/running backs coach
Salary: Last year, Burns made $290,000, but was recently wooed by 2013-INFINITY preseason #3 Florida State before eventually turning them down. Allegedly, FSU was offering in the $400,000-ish range, so we can assume he got some more money out of Alabama because there is no way on God’s green earth the joy of coaching for Nick Saban is worth $120,000.
Alma Mater: Nebraska ’76
Experience: Tulane 1994-1998 (Only referred to as an “assistant”, which could be Tulane not being able to afford putting the words “running backs” in his title)
Clemson 1999-2006 (running backs)
Alabama 2007-present (running backs)
Background: A high school coach in New Orleans, Burns got his start in college football thanks to Tommy Bowden, yes, THE Tommy Bowden, master of just hanging around at Clemson. This is also a good time to remind you that Tulane once went 12-0 in football, and although I remember it happening, my mind struggles to process that information.
Burns went with Bowden to Clemson where he became intimately familiar with the dread of about-to-get-fired, immediately followed by the tremendous relief of having a job for another year. A process that was on repeat from 2002-2007.
Since he’s been at Alabama, Burns has coached Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy, and T.J. Yeldon in the span of four years. Sort of reminds me of the powerhouse of Tremaine Turner, Vashon Pearson, Ronald McClendon, and Jamal Pittman that Ole Miss rolled out in 2003, except nothing like that at all.
What he brings to the table: Most noticeably, he has an excellent ability to not screw things up and let the God-given abilities of those four running backs do what they do best. And given that he works for Nick Saban and I’m doing no research on this, I’ll assume he’s really good at recruiting as well.
That’s all you really need out of your position assistants. Don’t screw up players and be good at recruiting.
What he needs to get out of his players in 2013: Mostly he needs to not get in Yeldon’s way, but he also has to find two or three guys out of the pile of 5-star running backs on the roster who can contribute. Despite all the talent at running back, Alabama is pretty short on experience there. Somehow, I’M SURE IT WILL ALL WORK OUT.
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