Burton Burns Position: Running Backs Birthdate: 10/27/1952 Experience: 8th year at Clemson

Tommy Bowden has been a Division I head coach for nine seasons, and all nine years his teams have been bowl eligible at the conclusion of the regular season. One of the main reasons for this consistent level of success has been Running Backs Coach Burton Burns, who has been on the sidelines with the current Tiger mentor for all 85 games he has served as a head coach.

Burns joined the Tiger coaching staff prior to the 1999 season, and now is in his eighth season as Clemson's running backs coach. Burns came to Tigertown after four seasons with Tulane, including two under Bowden.

Burns has been a common denominator on the offensive side of the ball that has produced six of the top-10 total offense seasons in school history. Only six Clemson teams have averaged at least 400 yards per game in terms of total offense, and Burns has been the running backs coach for four of the six.

The 2005 Tiger offense was the most balanced in the ACC, as it was the only offense to average at least 150 yards rushing and 230 yards passing. Burns' running backs featured a pair of 700-yard rushers in James Davis, the ACC Rookie-of-the-Year with 879 yards, and Reggie Merriweather, who is closing in on the 1,500 mark for his career. The duo combined for seven 100-yard rushing games last year, including Davis' 150 in the Champs Sports Bowl victory over Colorado. He was named MVP of the game as well.

Clemson's ground game has prospered since Burns came to Clemson before the 1999 season. The Tigers were 10th in the country and first in the ACC in rushing in 2000 thanks in large part to the 1,027-yard season turned in by Travis Zachery. Zachery earned All-ACC accolades that year and finished his career fifth in Clemson history in rushing, and first in touchdowns (50).

Burns has shown an ability to teach his running backs all phases of the game. In his first seven years, Tiger running backs have totaled over 216 receptions, more than any seven-year period in school history.

In 2003, Duane Coleman joined Zachery as the only running backs in school history with over 600 yards rushing and 300 yards receiving in the same year. He also helped the Tigers establish school records for total offense, passing yards, and first downs in a season.

Ball protection is an important area he stresses daily in practice. That practice was the reason the running backs did not lose a fumble during the entire 2003 season, and lost just one in 2004 and 2005.

Players Burns has coached have made significant improvement over their careers. Chad Jasmin, a graduate student in 2003, was an example. The running back finished his career with a four-touchdown game at rival South Carolina and a 130-yard rushing performance in the Peach Bowl against #6 Tennessee, where he earned offensive MVP honors.

Reggie Merriweather, Clemson's top rusher in 2004, is another example. He improved from a 56-yard rushing total as a freshman in 2003 to a 670-yard year and 11 touchdowns in 2004. Merriweather was second in the ACC in touchdowns in 2004 as well.

Burns has also had a positive effect on Clemson's special teams. The Tiger kickoff return team finished third in the nation in the 2004 season, and featured NCAA kickoff return champion Justin Miller.

Burns spent the 1997 and 1998 seasons directing a much-improved Green Wave running attack. In 1997, Tulane averaged 182.9 yards per game on the ground. During the 1998 regular season, the Green Wave's ground attack improved to 202.4 rushing yards per game, a figure that was 23rd in the country.

Burns was one of the coaches responsible for Tulane's incredible turnaround during the 1997 and 1998 seasons. The Green Wave were 19-4 in those two seasons, including a perfect 12-0 campaign and #7 final ranking during the 1998 season. The balanced offense and rushing game had a lot to do with the Green Wave's scoring average of over 45 points per contest, the second-best figure in the nation. Three of Burns' backs gained over 500 yards during the magic season.

Burns joined the Tulane staff on December 9, 1994 after nine seasons as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Saint Augustine High School in New Orleans, LA. He helped his high school alma mater to district titles in 1987, 1992, and 1993. Burns also coached at the school from 1977-79, and during that time the Purple Knights won three district titles and back-to-back AAAA state titles in 1978 and 1979 under Head Coach Otis Washington.

In 1980, Burns was an assistant coach on a district championship team at Booker T. Washington High School in Shreveport, LA. Following that year, he again worked under Washington at Southern. During his five-year stint there, the Jaguars finished in the top two of the SWAC on three occasions.

Burns played fullback for four seasons at Nebraska and graduated with a bachelor's degree in education in 1976. He was a member of three Cornhusker teams that won at least nine games each season. He was also a member of the Nebraska teams that participated in the Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, and Sugar Bowl, all under legendary Hall of Fame Head Coach Tom Osborne.

At Tulane, Burns coached Jerald Sowell, who played for the New York Jets. He also coached Sean Jackson, Tyrone Hughes, David White, and Louis Age at Saint Augustine High School. All four of those players went on to the NFL.

Burns, a native of New Orleans, LA, is married to the former Connie Winder. They have four children, Amber (32), Christy (29), Damon (24), and Erin (22). Damon was a starting outfielder for Texas Southern in 2004 and had three hits in the team's upset of defending National Champion Rice in an NCAA Tournament game played at Houston, TX.