‘Maniac on a mission’: How intense assistant Mike Burns has Boise State’s defense among the best in the country

BOISE – Grab your favorite IPA and settle in as Mike Burns starts telling stories.

Maybe he’s talking about the day he stood in the batter’s box against Nolan Ryan. Or when he walked Joe DiMaggio to the pitcher’s mound on opening night. Or when he rode his bike to the airport and met Pelé and got invited to watch him practice the next day.

Burns sat by NBA legend Pete Maravich, met Stevie Ray Vaughan two weeks before he tragically died in a helicopter crash and saw pretty much every rock and roll show you could imagine at the Gorge Amphitheater while working as a concert promotor.

“I’ve lived a little bit of a Forest Gump-ish life in that regard,” Burns says with a laugh.

It’s fascinating to sit and hear Mike Burns tell stories. It’s even more fascinating to hear him talk about defense.

Burns has coached defense for much of his 30-plus years as a college basketball coach. The past two years, he’s led Boise State’s charge to become one of the top defensive teams in the country.

The Broncos (18-6, 8-3 MW) currently have the No. 9 ranked defense in the country at KenPom.com ahead of Saturday’s home game against Wyoming, and Burns is a big reason why.

“There’s none better than him in the business,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said.

***

Burns traces his defensive background to the early 1990s and an old VHS tape of then Wisconsin-Stevens Point coach Dick Bennett teaching his famed ‘push defense’. Burns, in his first coaching gig as an assistant at Highline Community College in Seattle, received the tape from a friend.

“Where I learned and embraced and felt I got a philosophy defensively came from that old, dusty VHS tape,” Burns said. “That was my basketball Bible for that side of the floor. Everything I’ve done in 30 years since in a lot of ways always goes back in some way to that tape and his philosophies.”

Burns went on to work as an assistant coach at Central Washington, Stephen F. Austin and Eastern Washington before getting maybe his biggest break – a chance to be an assistant under that same coach in the video, Bennett, at Washington State during the 2003-04 season.

“The guy who was kind of my mentor or coaching idol so to speak, I got the chance to sit on the bench with him,” Burns said. “That was invaluable for me as a coach moving forward.”

Burns left after one season with Bennett to become the head coach at Eastern Washington. After a rough 8-20 season in 2004-05, Burns led EWU to a 30-29 record and a pair of top-5 finishes in the Big Sky the next two seasons. Still, he was fired after just three years.

He went on to coach the Community Colleges of Spokane during the 2007-2008 season and was named the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges League Coach of the Year after leading the team to a 30-2 record and the No. 1 spot in the league. His team’s 24-game winning streak was snapped with a one-point loss to Yakima Valley CC in the championship game.

Burns was hired as an assistant at the University of San Diego in 2008 under Billy Grier, where he spent seven seasons before leaving to become an assistant at Pacific. He was named interim head coach midway through the season when Ron Verlin was fired.

He reunited with longtime friend Leon Rice on May 25, 2016, when he was hired as an assistant at Boise State.

Seven years later, the move has proven to be a perfect fit for both sides.

***

Boise State assistant Mike Burns (right) celebrates with guard Max Rice (left) in the locker room after a recent win over Nevada. (Photo courtesy of Boise State Athletics)

Burns has served as Boise State’s defensive coordinator since he arrived and the results have mostly been positive.

The past two years have seen things go to a different level. Boise State was No. 20 in defensive efficiency at KenPom when they won the Mountain West regular season and tournament championships last season, and the Broncos currently have the No. 9 ranked defense in the country this season.

The Broncos rank No. 5 nationally in opponents’ 3-point percentage, No. 6 in defensive rebounding, No. 17 in opponents’ effective field goal percentage and No. 21 in opponents’ assists to field goals made.

Boise State has statistically one of the best defenses in the country. The reason? Burns and his love for analytics.

Frustrated with no NCAA Tournament appearances in his first six seasons with the Broncos, Burns and the coaching staff dove into the numbers to see what those teams that do make the tournament consistently have in common. The answer? Defense.

“I took the KenPom numbers going back five years prior to last season because it was like, ‘What can we do to help get this team over the hump?’,” Burns said. “When you sift through all the data and all these numbers, there was one thing that really resonated with me and our staff: if you end up in the Top 25 of the KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency number, you have about a 96 percent chance of going to the NCAA Tournament. So for us, it made a lot of sense.”

Burns and the coaches showed Boise State’s players the same data prior to last season in an effort to get them to buy into the defensive end. Be an elite defensive team, the coaches said, and you’ll get to where you want to go – the NCAA Tournament. The research proves it.

“We made it an emphasis – a bigger emphasis,” Burns said. “We had kids that were committed and tough. Last year’s team, like this year, two of the traits that come to the forefront are character and toughness. So we showed it to our guys and said if you are willing to do this and put the effort in and embrace the coaching and be great on defense, it’s an avenue and a vehicle to get is where we want to go.”

Boise State finished with the No. 20 ranked defense a year ago – and went to the NCAA Tournament. The Broncos earned a No. 8 seed, the highest in program history, but fell to Memphis in the first round.

The proof was now there – the formula works.

“Credit to Mike because he’s always trying to get our defense better and the time we spend doing it, the emphasis, the way we do it – everything,” Rice said. “And that says something because there’s a lot of really good old coaches but a lot of them, some of the great ones, they keep evolving.

“I’ve seen good old coaches that just do it the same way they’ve done it forever and sometimes that’s good, but I think the best ones really try to find ways to evolve and keep getting better. Credit to Mike. An old dog like him evolving like that is impressive.”

Players recalled multiple meetings in the offseason and during the season in which Burns would lay the data out and show them why defense was so important. He got the players to see and believe how good they could be with a strong defense.

“We put the data in front of our guys,” Burns said. “It’s not like we just say you have to do this because we say so. We show them the data. There’s 360 D-1 teams and every player on every one of those teams wants to play in the NCAA Tournament.

“For us, it made sense (to focus on defense) based on the personnel we have, the league we play in and the route we have to take to get there. You look at our league going back 15 years in the Mountain West, and if you don’t guard, you aren’t winning a championship. That’s just the way it is in this league.”

***

Burns is one of the most passionate and intense coaches you will see at a practice or sitting on the bench. It’s because of one reason – his love for the game and his players.

“He’s been in the game for so long and you can tell he loves it and loves being around it,” senior forward Naje Smith said. “What he brings every day is pretty special. Sometimes it comes in different forms – could be yelling, could be him cussing you out, you never know, but he cares about you and really enjoys being around all this.”

Watch a Boise State game and focus on the bench. Not long will go by before the balded Burns will be up yelling at somebody.

“He’s probably the most intense coach I’ve ever had,” forward Tyson Degenhart said. “He’s never afraid to say what’s on his mind and get up in your grill, and that’s one of the things I love about him. He always tells it like it is; it may not come off the best way always but you get his point and he’s a big reason why I’ve seen such an improvement since I got to college.”

Said Max Rice, who has known Burns since he was a little kid, “He’s super intense at practice. If a person came up and watched our practice and watched our defensive drills they’d be surprised how intense he is every day and every day he’s yelling and trying to get us better, but that’s why he’s such a good coach. He holds us accountable. When we don’t come with energy we’re going to hear from him.”

Burns gets the most out of his players on defense due to his ability to mix ‘tough love’ with praise.

“Just how intense he is in practice,” Marcus Shaver Jr. said. “He never lets anybody half-ass the drill or anything. He keeps everybody accountable at all times and I think that helps us a lot and is what makes him a good coach.”

So what mistake or screw-up gets under Burns’ skin the most?

“Not putting up a stick hand, that’s No. 1 right there,” Smith says with a laugh.

Shaver Jr. agrees.

“Not playing hard, not getting a stick hand up and not getting locked in on defense,” Boise State’s starting point guard said.

So what’s it like when Burns directs a rant towards you at practice?

“It’s definitely just keeping your cool because you aren’t going to win that battle,” Smith says with a laugh. “Even if you aren’t in the wrong, just try to keep your calm.”

Said Max Rice, “If you aren’t in the right mindset for practice, it could be a tough day for you.”

But sometimes the old uncle is worth messing with.

“The other day we were doing a drill and I kept stealing it and he’s like, if you steal it one more time you’re running stairs,” Max recalled. “And I don’t know why, but I just decided to steal it again. I was like, I’ll take the stairs run for that.

“If you aren’t in a defensive stance or helping, we call it the ‘mig’, most important guy, but stick hand is the biggest. He’s a great defensive coach and I like him – sometimes.”

Making a mistake in practice is one thing. But in a game?

“I let a guy go right in the Fresno State game, I remember I let him go right and he gets a layup and I’m running down the court and I see Burns yelling ‘Don’t let him go right!’” Degenhart said. “I know whenever I mess up I make sure not to make eye contact with him because I know he’ll be red in the face.”

But Burns is an effective coach because players respect him and know he means well.

“Mike Burns is someone who is very passionate, very outgoing but deep down he cares a lot and has a very sweet soul,” Smith said.

Burns makes no excuses for his in-your-face coaching style. It’s proven to be effective over the years – and he’s proud of it.

“I’m just passionate about it,” Burns said. “It’s just there. I don’t think about it. I go to practice and I try to get myself prepared for practice and for games the same way we want our players to get prepared so when we were in the moment it’s just competing. I’m very passionate and I think our players respond.

“They respond to love and discipline. If all you give them is love but no discipline, I don’t think you are getting the best out of them. Same if all you give them is discipline but no love. I try to keep that in the forefront.”

***

Boise State assistant Tim Duryea (left), director of operations Michael Johnson (center) and assistant Mike Burns (right) talk prior to a game at ExtraMile Arena this season. (Photo courtesy of Boise State Athletics)

Burns is quick to give Rice and assistants Tim Duryea and Roberto Bergersen credit for Boise State’s success defensively.

“It’s not a Mike Burns defense – it’s a Boise State defense,” Burns says quickly.

The Broncos have three things they focus on in each game: relentless rebounders, elite ball movers and toughest competitors.

“Everything we do is predicated on trying to help us in those three areas,” Burns said. “Defensively we just try on a game by game basis and overall philosophical perspective, we try to give our guys the tools and the things that can help them fulfill those three areas.”

As for what Burns works to do each game on defense?

“First, we want to be elite in transition defense,” Burns said. “And then we want to be great in pick and roll coverage – and we want our pick and roll coverage to be difficult to play against, and once we get those two things solved, there’s going to be a shot and when that goes up, we have to be elite rebounders.”

Burns credited director of recruiting David Moats as being a key part of the Broncos’ rebounding efforts, and made sure multiple times to give Rice, Duryea, Bergersen and the players credit for Boise State’s success on defense.

After a game – or during it – Burns’ eyes quickly go to a couple key areas on the stat sheet that tells him how the Broncos are doing defensively.

“We don’t want to see the other team with seven or more made 3-pointers on any night, so we want to limit attempts and limit makes,” Burns said. “And there’s little things – assist to field goal ratio – and when that number is lower, that tells us that we’re not allowing people to drive and kick for a 3. We’re getting them off the line and making them make an extra pass and make them dribble into their shots. When we do those things at an elite level, our defense can be elite. And then it goes to the last piece – getting that rebound.”

The players credit Burns’ ability to scout opponents and relay that information to the team during film sessions and practices as a big reason for their success.

“He does a great job knowing the scout and telling us what each guy on the other team does well,” Max Rice said. “He knows the scouts really well and he holds us accountable to those scouts and if you don’t do it at a high standard you’re coming out of the game.”

Said Degenhart: “He knows the ins and outs of every team. Him and Duryea do such a great job of scouting every team and giving us a great plan and he just knows what it takes to have a great defense. As long as we follow what he says we’re going to be really successful.”

Rice said coaching defense takes a different type of coach than some, which is why Burns has had so much success.

“He’s kind of got a football coach mentality and to be a defensive coach, I’ve always said this, you can’t be a great defensive team unless you peak behind the curtain and there’s a maniac on a mission,” Leon Rice said. “That mission is to be a great defensive team.

“It starts with a maniac on a mission running our defense. He’s got to have that confidence and persistence to bang his fist on the table and say we have to do this. That’s what it takes and that’s what we need. … As a head coach when you get a guy like that, that’s a game-changer. I have other friends who are coaching and missing that on their staff.”

Sure, Burns can be intense, but he gets results. And that’s what matters.

“I think he’s great at his job,” Max Rice said. “Our defense is the best it’s ever been right now.”

***

Burns is a completely different person off the court. And that’s why he’s so likable.

“He’d definitely be a good dude to have a beer with,” Smith said with a chuckle. “He’s pretty cool and relaxed and kind of has a swagger to him being from Tacoma. He’s cool. He’s a cool guy.

“Off the court he reminds me of that cool uncle you have that cares for you in a tough, loving way, and on the court it’s even tougher love but he definitely cares.”

Burns’ ability to flip the switch from intense coach to a funny, story-telling, caring mentor is what makes him such a unique guy and a favorite amongst players and coaches alike.

“He’s a completely different guy off the court,” Shaver Jr. said. “We love him. Naje said it perfect, he’s like an old uncle, man. You could talk to him about anything. He’s just an awesome dude.”

Told he’s a fun-loving guy that everybody seems to like, Burns joked, “You say that but then if you miss a rotation in the shell drill you probably wouldn’t say that if you were the player that did that.”

But Burns’ ability to flip the switch from defensive guru to mentor and friend is a unique one – and one the Broncos badly have needed.

“I probably do take it for granted because I’ve known him for so long, but it’s remarkable to have a guy like that,” Leon Rice said.

***

Despite being an excellent defensive coach, Burns’ best quality might be his story telling. And he’s got plenty to tell.

“We all get to travel together and listen to Mike Burns jokes and stories,” Leon Rice said. “If we get bored we’ll prod him and get a story. I don’t take that for granted. There’s a 30-year friendship and loyalty and trust.”

So what is Rice’s best story from his longtime friend?

“That’s like asking someone what’s your favorite movie – I’ve got 100 of them,” Rice said. “You could throw out any word, I don’t care what it would be, and I’d have an amazing story on Mike Burns.”

Alright, let’s try it: Kayaks.

“How about the time he was shopping and he walked into a department store because they hired him to test their security and he walked in and said ‘let’s see what I can get away with’ and he grabbed a kayak and started walking out and carried it all the way out the store,” Rice said. “He said, ‘well we’ve got to revisit your security. I just carried a kayak out.’”

Rice paused for a second and chuckled.

“At least I hope he was hired to be the security,” Rice said. “Maybe he added that part on during his later years.”

The best Burns stories include meeting famous athletes and musicians and some how getting to interact with them.

“I’ve had opportunities to meet enormously talented people and see some really cool things,” Burns said.

There’s not enough time for Burns to tell all his best stories, but he has a few he enjoys sharing.

“When I was a kid I grew up close to SEA-TAC Airport and I would call all the sports teams, I’d call their media office or team offices because back then all the teams flew commercial,” Burns said. “So I’d say I’m so-and-so from the Des Moines News, can you tell me what time the team is coming in? They’d give me the flight information and I’d ride my bike down there and I’d meet Major League baseball teams, NBA teams. I met Pele as he got off the plane with the New York Cosmos.

“When I was in high school I wanted to work for the Mariners and I was lucky enough to find my way into a job where I ended up in the visitor’s dugout, a clubhouse guy, visitor’s bat boy, I worked the umpire’s clubhouse, I worked in the press box.”

So how did he walk Joe DiMaggio to the mound?

“He was throwing out the first pitch on opening night in 1978 and I had my little Mariners blazer on and I sat with him in the dugout,” Burns said. “I was part of a group of kids called the M and M crew and we just did all kinds of stuff and that was my particular job that night – walk him to the mound.”

What about standing in the batter’s box against future Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan?

“I was the Angels bat boy,” Burns says. “There were a few instances where I got to be a bat boy and one of them was for the Angels, and Nolan Ryan was on a rehab deal and he was down in the bullpen during batting practice throwing pitches. The bullpen catcher said, ‘Kid just stand in here for a second.’

“That was a moment of horror. It was terrifying. You could hear the seams of the ball whistling by, and it was especially terrifying when he turned over the slider or the curveball.”

Degenhart, a big Mariners fan, finds himself jealous often when Burns recalls his various baseball stories.

“It seems like he’s been around every Mariners incredible moment like in 1995 with Edgar Martinez,” Degenhart said. “Being a bat boy and riding his bike down there, he’s got all sorts of cool stories. It’s incredible to hear someone who has experienced all that incredible stuff and met some incredible people.”

Prior to getting into the coaching profession Burns spent several years working as a concert promoter. That led to another list of memorable moments.

“My two loves were sports and music so when I got out of college I ended up working in the music profession for six or seven years,” Burns said. “I’ve seen every rock and roll show you can imagine. The first eight years the Gorge Amphitheater was open I was at every single show.

“I met Peter Buck from R.E.M. I was a huge R.E.M. fan. Stevie Ray Vaughan, arguably the greatest guitarist to ever live, I got to meet him and ironically it was two weeks before he died in a helicopter crash. There’s countless others over the years that I’ve met.”

The best part? Burns never runs out of stories – and has one for every occasion.

“I was just a ‘right place, right time’ kid,” Burns said. “I’ve been fortunate”

***

The Burns family (Kylie, Mike, Mary and Bode) celebrate after the Broncos won the regular season Mountain West championship with a win over Nevada last season. (Contributed photo)

Mary Burns is used to seeing how intense her husband is during games.

“When we were first married I was thinking ‘Wow, he’s pretty passionate and intense’ but now after all these years, we’ve been married almost 26 years, it’s just like second nature and doesn’t even phase me when I see him like that,” Mary Burns said. “Seeing him like that all these years, it’s very normal.”

But her husband is a completely different person around the house.

“He has a great ability to flip that switch,” Mary Burns said. “He has his intensity on the court but he comes home and he’s very even-keeled and his home is his sanctuary. When he’s here it’s a good balance for him.”

The Burns family enjoys playing music on Saturday and Sunday mornings. They’ve taken their kids Bode and Kylie, sophomores in high school, to see Dave Mathews play at the Gorge prior to COVID, and in September they plan to see Coldplay at Lumen Field in Seattle to celebrate their birthdays.

But there’s not much time for that during the season. Mary said Mike will routinely wake up by 4 a.m. to watch film or work on things in a quiet house prior to going into the office. And that’s why the recent success has been so gratifying for her and the family.

“We’re all very proud of him,” Mary Burns said. “We see the fruits of his labor and how it’s all paying off. It’s very cool and I’m happy it’s happening for him and the team because he grinds at it. He really does. He’s very passionate about the defense and he will get up so early to work on things.

“He’s very passionate about his family and after games, win or lose he’s always pretty even-keeled. He’s a very funny, loving husband and father. We’re pretty fortunate here.”

Mike Burns feels the same way – which is why he always is seemingly in a good mood.

“I’ve been really blessed,” Burns said. “I’ve been able to do what I love for work rather than to have to work. I haven’t had many days in my life where I woke up and said ‘ah crap, I have to go to work today.’ I wake up thankful and that probably has a lot to do with my mood and why I can be so happy go lucky all the time.”

As intense and passionate as Burns can be on the court, he’s equally as compassionate and caring off of it. And that’s what makes him so likable.

“He’s got a counselors heart,” Leon Rice said. “He cares about his players and the kids and he’ll do anything for them and they know that. And that’s why he can put his size 14 shoe where he needs to put it, because they’ll respond. They know he loves them and he’s doing it for them.”

Burns might not be somebody you want to confront after screwing up one of his drills or teaching points. But he would definitely be the one to go to if you needed life advice or to share a laugh.

And that’s why players and coaches alike are drawn to him.

“I try to keep it real with them,” Burns said. “We try to be honest. All of our coaches try to be honest with our guys. They have to know you care because if they know we love them and it’s genuine, then they are going to respond when we have to get the most out of them.

“Sometimes I’m not always the most articulate guy and they will tell you that. I can be blunt and I can be abrasive but I hope and I think they forgive me because they know I care and they know all I want is the best from them and the best for them.”

That part seems obvious. As does his impact on the Broncos.