\u201cThere\u2019s none better than him in the business,\u201d Boise State coach Leon Rice said.<\/p>\n
***<\/strong><\/p>\n 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 \u2018push defense\u2019. Burns, in his first coaching gig as an assistant at Highline Community College in Seattle, received the tape from a friend.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere I learned and embraced and felt I got a philosophy defensively came from that old, dusty VHS tape,\u201d Burns said. \u201cThat was my basketball Bible for that side of the floor. Everything I\u2019ve done in 30 years since in a lot of ways always goes back in some way to that tape and his philosophies.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThe guy who was kind of my mentor or coaching idol so to speak, I got the chance to sit on the bench with him,\u201d Burns said. \u201cThat was invaluable for me as a coach moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 24-game winning streak was snapped with a one-point loss to Yakima Valley CC in the championship game.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n He reunited with longtime friend Leon Rice on May 25, 2016, when he was hired as an assistant at Boise State.<\/p>\n Seven years later, the move has proven to be a perfect fit for both sides.<\/p>\n ***<\/strong><\/p>\n 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)<\/p><\/div>\n Burns has served as Boise State\u2019s defensive coordinator since he arrived and the results have mostly been positive.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The Broncos rank No. 5 nationally in opponents\u2019 3-point percentage, No. 6 in defensive rebounding, No. 17 in opponents\u2019 effective field goal percentage and No. 21 in opponents\u2019 assists to field goals made.<\/p>\n Boise State has statistically one of the best defenses in the country. The reason? Burns and his love for analytics.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI took the KenPom numbers going back five years prior to last season because it was like, \u2018What can we do to help get this team over the hump?\u2019,\u201d Burns said. \u201cWhen 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Burns and the coaches showed Boise State\u2019s 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\u2019ll get to where you want to go – the NCAA Tournament. The research proves it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe made it an emphasis – a bigger emphasis,\u201d Burns said. \u201cWe had kids that were committed and tough. Last year\u2019s 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\u2019s an avenue and a vehicle to get is where we want to go.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The proof was now there – the formula works.<\/p>\n \u201cCredit to Mike because he\u2019s always trying to get our defense better and the time we spend doing it, the emphasis, the way we do it – everything,\u201d Rice said. \u201cAnd that says something because there\u2019s a lot of really good old coaches but a lot of them, some of the great ones, they keep evolving.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen good old coaches that just do it the same way they\u2019ve done it forever and sometimes that\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWe put the data in front of our guys,\u201d Burns said. \u201cIt\u2019s not like we just say you have to do this because we say so. We show them the data. There\u2019s 360 D-1 teams and every player on every one of those teams wants to play in the NCAA Tournament.<\/p>\n \u201cFor 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\u2019t guard, you aren\u2019t winning a championship. That\u2019s just the way it is in this league.\u201d<\/p>\n ***<\/strong><\/p>\n Burns is one of the most passionate and intense coaches you will see at a practice or sitting on the bench. It\u2019s because of one reason – his love for the game and his players.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s been in the game for so long and you can tell he loves it and loves being around it,\u201d senior forward Naje Smith said. \u201cWhat 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.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s probably the most intense coach I\u2019ve ever had,\u201d forward Tyson Degenhart said. \u201cHe\u2019s never afraid to say what\u2019s on his mind and get up in your grill, and that\u2019s 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\u2019s a big reason why I\u2019ve seen such an improvement since I got to college.\u201d<\/p>\n Said Max Rice, who has known Burns since he was a little kid, \u201cHe\u2019s super intense at practice. If a person came up and watched our practice and watched our defensive drills they\u2019d be surprised how intense he is every day and every day he\u2019s yelling and trying to get us better, but that\u2019s why he\u2019s such a good coach. He holds us accountable. When we don\u2019t come with energy we\u2019re going to hear from him.\u201d<\/p>\n Burns gets the most out of his players on defense due to his ability to mix \u2018tough love\u2019 with praise.<\/p>\n \u201cJust how intense he is in practice,\u201d Marcus Shaver Jr. said. \u201cHe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n So what mistake or screw-up gets under Burns\u2019 skin the most?<\/p>\n \u201cNot putting up a stick hand, that\u2019s No. 1 right there,\u201d Smith says with a laugh.<\/p>\n Shaver Jr. agrees.<\/p>\n \u201cNot playing hard, not getting a stick hand up and not getting locked in on defense,\u201d Boise State\u2019s starting point guard said.<\/p>\n So what\u2019s it like when Burns directs a rant towards you at practice?<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s definitely just keeping your cool because you aren\u2019t going to win that battle,\u201d Smith says with a laugh. \u201cEven if you aren\u2019t in the wrong, just try to keep your calm.\u201d<\/p>\n Said Max Rice, \u201cIf you aren\u2019t in the right mindset for practice, it could be a tough day for you.\u201d<\/p>\n But sometimes the old uncle is worth messing with.<\/p>\n \u201cThe other day we were doing a drill and I kept stealing it and he\u2019s like, if you steal it one more time you\u2019re running stairs,\u201d Max recalled. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t know why, but I just decided to steal it again. I was like, I\u2019ll take the stairs run for that.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you aren\u2019t in a defensive stance or helping, we call it the \u2018mig\u2019, most important guy, but stick hand is the biggest. He\u2019s a great defensive coach and I like him – sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n Making a mistake in practice is one thing. But in a game?<\/p>\n \u201cI let a guy go right in the Fresno State game, I remember I let him go right and he gets a layup and I\u2019m running down the court and I see Burns yelling \u2018Don\u2019t let him go right!\u2019\u201d Degenhart said. \u201cI know whenever I mess up I make sure not to make eye contact with him because I know he\u2019ll be red in the face.\u201d<\/p>\n But Burns is an effective coach because players respect him and know he means well.<\/p>\n \u201cMike Burns is someone who is very passionate, very outgoing but deep down he cares a lot and has a very sweet soul,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n Burns makes no excuses for his in-your-face coaching style. It\u2019s proven to be effective over the years – and he\u2019s proud of it.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just passionate about it,\u201d Burns said. \u201cIt\u2019s just there. I don\u2019t 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\u2019s just competing. I\u2019m very passionate and I think our players respond.<\/p>\n \u201cThey respond to love and discipline. If all you give them is love but no discipline, I don\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n ***<\/strong><\/p>\n 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)<\/p><\/div>\n Burns is quick to give Rice and assistants Tim Duryea and Roberto Bergersen credit for Boise State\u2019s success defensively.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a Mike Burns defense – it\u2019s a Boise State defense,\u201d Burns says quickly.<\/p>\n The Broncos have three things they focus on in each game: relentless rebounders, elite ball movers and toughest competitors.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything we do is predicated on trying to help us in those three areas,\u201d Burns said. \u201cDefensively 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.\u201d<\/p>\n As for what Burns works to do each game on defense?<\/p>\n \u201cFirst, we want to be elite in transition defense,\u201d Burns said. \u201cAnd 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\u2019s going to be a shot and when that goes up, we have to be elite rebounders.\u201d<\/p>\n Burns credited director of recruiting David Moats as being a key part of the Broncos\u2019 rebounding efforts, and made sure multiple times to give Rice, Duryea, Bergersen and the players credit for Boise State\u2019s success on defense.<\/p>\n After a game – or during it – Burns\u2019 eyes quickly go to a couple key areas on the stat sheet that tells him how the Broncos are doing defensively.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t 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,\u201d Burns said. \u201cAnd there\u2019s little things – assist to field goal ratio – and when that number is lower, that tells us that we\u2019re not allowing people to drive and kick for a 3. We\u2019re 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.\u201d<\/p>\n The players credit Burns\u2019 ability to scout opponents and relay that information to the team during film sessions and practices as a big reason for their success.<\/p>\n \u201cHe does a great job knowing the scout and telling us what each guy on the other team does well,\u201d Max Rice said. \u201cHe knows the scouts really well and he holds us accountable to those scouts and if you don\u2019t do it at a high standard you\u2019re coming out of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n Said Degenhart: \u201cHe 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\u2019re going to be really successful.\u201d<\/p>\n Rice said coaching defense takes a different type of coach than some, which is why Burns has had so much success.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s kind of got a football coach mentality and to be a defensive coach, I\u2019ve always said this, you can\u2019t be a great defensive team unless you peak behind the curtain and there\u2019s a maniac on a mission,\u201d Leon Rice said. \u201cThat mission is to be a great defensive team.<\/p>\n \u201cIt starts with a maniac on a mission running our defense. He\u2019s got to have that confidence and persistence to bang his fist on the table and say we have to do this. That\u2019s what it takes and that\u2019s what we need. \u2026 As a head coach when you get a guy like that, that\u2019s a game-changer. I have other friends who are coaching and missing that on their staff.\u201d<\/p>\n Sure, Burns can be intense, but he gets results. And that\u2019s what matters.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019s great at his job,\u201d Max Rice said. “Our defense is the best it\u2019s ever been right now.\u201d<\/p>\n ***<\/strong><\/p>\n Burns is a completely different person off the court. And that\u2019s why he\u2019s so likable.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019d definitely be a good dude to have a beer with,\u201d Smith said with a chuckle. \u201cHe\u2019s pretty cool and relaxed and kind of has a swagger to him being from Tacoma. He\u2019s cool. He\u2019s a cool guy.<\/p>\n \u201cOff 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\u2019s even tougher love but he definitely cares.\u201d<\/p>\n Burns\u2019 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.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a completely different guy off the court,\u201d Shaver Jr. said. \u201cWe love him. Naje said it perfect, he\u2019s like an old uncle, man. You could talk to him about anything. He\u2019s just an awesome dude.\u201d<\/p>\n Told he\u2019s a fun-loving guy that everybody seems to like, Burns joked, \u201cYou say that but then if you miss a rotation in the shell drill you probably wouldn\u2019t say that if you were the player that did that.\u201d<\/p>\n But Burns\u2019 ability to flip the switch from defensive guru to mentor and friend is a unique one – and one the Broncos badly have needed.<\/p>\n \u201cI probably do take it for granted because I\u2019ve known him for so long, but it\u2019s remarkable to have a guy like that,\u201d Leon Rice said.<\/p>\n ***<\/strong><\/p>\n Despite being an excellent defensive coach, Burns\u2019 best quality might be his story telling. And he\u2019s got plenty to tell.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all get to travel together and listen to Mike Burns jokes and stories,\u201d Leon Rice said. \u201cIf we get bored we\u2019ll prod him and get a story. I don\u2019t take that for granted. There\u2019s a 30-year friendship and loyalty and trust.\u201d<\/p>\n So what is Rice\u2019s best story from his longtime friend?<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s like asking someone what\u2019s your favorite movie – I\u2019ve got 100 of them,\u201d Rice said. \u201cYou could throw out any word, I don\u2019t care what it would be, and I\u2019d have an amazing story on Mike Burns.\u201d<\/p>\n Alright, let\u2019s try it: Kayaks.<\/p>\n \u201cHow 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 \u2018let\u2019s see what I can get away with\u2019 and he grabbed a kayak and started walking out and carried it all the way out the store,\u201d Rice said. \u201cHe said, \u2018well we\u2019ve got to revisit your security. I just carried a kayak out.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Rice paused for a second and chuckled.<\/p>\n \u201cAt least I hope he was hired to be the security,\u201d Rice said. \u201cMaybe he added that part on during his later years.\u201d<\/p>\n The best Burns stories include meeting famous athletes and musicians and some how getting to interact with them.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had opportunities to meet enormously talented people and see some really cool things,\u201d Burns said.<\/p>\n There\u2019s not enough time for Burns to tell all his best stories, but he has a few he enjoys sharing.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I was a kid I grew up close to SEA-TAC Airport and I would call all the sports teams, I\u2019d call their media office or team offices because back then all the teams flew commercial,\u201d Burns said. \u201cSo I\u2019d say I\u2019m so-and-so from the Des Moines News, can you tell me what time the team is coming in? They\u2019d give me the flight information and I\u2019d ride my bike down there and I\u2019d meet Major League baseball teams, NBA teams. I met Pele as he got off the plane with the New York Cosmos.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen 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\u2019s dugout, a clubhouse guy, visitor\u2019s bat boy, I worked the umpire\u2019s clubhouse, I worked in the press box.\u201d<\/p>\n So how did he walk Joe DiMaggio to the mound?<\/p>\n \u201cHe 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,\u201d Burns said. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n What about standing in the batter\u2019s box against future Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan?<\/p>\n \u201cI was the Angels bat boy,\u201d Burns says. \u201cThere 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, \u2018Kid just stand in here for a second.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cThat 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Degenhart, a big Mariners fan, finds himself jealous often when Burns recalls his various baseball stories.<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems like he\u2019s been around every Mariners incredible moment like in 1995 with Edgar Martinez,\u201d Degenhart said. \u201cBeing a bat boy and riding his bike down there, he\u2019s got all sorts of cool stories. It\u2019s incredible to hear someone who has experienced all that incredible stuff and met some incredible people.\u201d<\/p>\n Prior to getting into the coaching profession Burns spent several years working as a concert promoter. That led to another list of memorable moments.<\/p>\n \u201cMy 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,\u201d Burns said. \u201cI\u2019ve seen every rock and roll show you can imagine. The first eight years the Gorge Amphitheater was open I was at every single show.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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\u2019s countless others over the years that I\u2019ve met.\u201d<\/p>\n The best part? Burns never runs out of stories – and has one for every occasion.<\/p>\n \u201cI was just a \u2018right place, right time\u2019 kid,\u201d Burns said. \u201cI\u2019ve been fortunate\u201d<\/p>\n ***<\/strong><\/p>\n 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)<\/p><\/div>\n Mary Burns is used to seeing how intense her husband is during games.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we were first married I was thinking \u2018Wow, he\u2019s pretty passionate and intense\u2019 but now after all these years, we\u2019ve been married almost 26 years, it\u2019s just like second nature and doesn\u2019t even phase me when I see him like that,\u201d Mary Burns said. \u201cSeeing him like that all these years, it\u2019s very normal.\u201d<\/p>\n But her husband is a completely different person around the house.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has a great ability to flip that switch,\u201d Mary Burns said. \u201cHe has his intensity on the court but he comes home and he\u2019s very even-keeled and his home is his sanctuary. When he\u2019s here it\u2019s a good balance for him.\u201d<\/p>\n The Burns family enjoys playing music on Saturday and Sunday mornings. They\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n But there\u2019s 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\u2019s why the recent success has been so gratifying for her and the family.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re all very proud of him,\u201d Mary Burns said. \u201cWe see the fruits of his labor and how it\u2019s all paying off. It\u2019s very cool and I\u2019m happy it\u2019s happening for him and the team because he grinds at it. He really does. He\u2019s very passionate about the defense and he will get up so early to work on things.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s very passionate about his family and after games, win or lose he\u2019s always pretty even-keeled. He\u2019s a very funny, loving husband and father. We\u2019re pretty fortunate here.\u201d<\/p>\n Mike Burns feels the same way – which is why he always is seemingly in a good mood.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been really blessed,\u201d Burns said. “I\u2019ve been able to do what I love for work rather than to have to work. I haven\u2019t had many days in my life where I woke up and said \u2018ah crap, I have to go to work today.\u2019 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.\u201d<\/p>\n As intense and passionate as Burns can be on the court, he\u2019s equally as compassionate and caring off of it. And that\u2019s what makes him so likable.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got a counselors heart,\u201d Leon Rice said. \u201cHe cares about his players and the kids and he\u2019ll do anything for them and they know that. And that\u2019s why he can put his size 14 shoe where he needs to put it, because they\u2019ll respond. They know he loves them and he\u2019s doing it for them.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s why players and coaches alike are drawn to him.<\/p>\n \u201cI try to keep it real with them,\u201d Burns said. \u201cWe 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\u2019s genuine, then they are going to respond when we have to get the most out of them.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes I\u2019m 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.\u201d<\/p>\n That part seems obvious. As does his impact on the Broncos.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.bronconationnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/D_2301_016_205-300x200.jpg\")
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