Kenni Burns
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Kent State |
| Conference | MAC |
| Record | 1–23 |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | November 24, 1983 Springfield, Illinois, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Indiana |
| Playing career | |
| 2003–2006 | Indiana |
| Position(s) | Running back |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2007 | Millersville (RB) |
| 2008–2009 | Southern Illinois (TE) |
| 2010–2013 | North Dakota State (WR) |
| 2014 | Wyoming (WR) |
| 2016 | Western Michigan (RB) |
| 2017–2018 | Minnesota (RB) |
| 2019–2022 | Minnesota (AHC/RB) |
| 2023–present | Kent State |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 1–23 |
Kenni Burns (born November 24, 1983) is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach for Kent State University, a position he has held since 2023. He is the former running backs coach and assistant head coach for Minnesota Golden Gophers football.[1]
Playing career
[edit]Burns was a three-year letter winner at Indiana. As a student he played running back from 2003 to 2006.
Coaching career
[edit]Minnesota
[edit]Burns followed P. J. Fleck from Western Michigan to Minnesota 2017, as the running back coach.[2] In 2019, he was granted the additional title as assistant head coach. During his tenure, Burns coached Rodney Smith and all-American back Mohamed Ibrahim.[3]
Kent State
[edit]On December 14, 2022, Burns was named the head coach for the Kent State Golden Flashes.[4] His head coaching debut against UCF in the 2023 season is considered one of the worst in NCAA Division I FBS history, leading the Golden Flashes to a 56–6 defeat. In his first season as head coach, he led Kent State to a 1–11 record, marking them as one of the worst teams in NCAA Division I FBS in the 2023 season. The only win of the season was a victory over the NCAA Division I FCS Central Connecticut. In his second season, he led Kent State to a winless 0-12 record. The Golden Flashes once again finished as the worst team in the 2024 season and became the first winless team in a full season since 2019. Burns holds a 1-23 record as a head coach, which includes an upset loss against NCAA Division I FCS Saint Francis and 22 consecutive losses to FBS teams. Burns is currently on a multi-year 3+ million dollar coaching contract with Kent State athletics which goes through the 2028 college football season.
Personal life
[edit]Burns is from Springfield, Illinois. He graduated from Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in 2003 and attended Indiana University Bloomington where he graduated with a degree in general studies in 2006.
Burns and his wife, Ciara, have two children.
Head coaching record
[edit]| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent State Golden Flashes (Mid-American Conference) (2023–present) | |||||||||
| 2023 | Kent State | 1–11 | 0–8 | 6th (East) | |||||
| 2024 | Kent State | 0–12 | 0–8 | 12th | |||||
| Kent State: | 1–23 | 0–16 | |||||||
| Total: | 1–23 | ||||||||
References
[edit]- ^ "Kenni Burns - Football Coach". University of Minnesota Athletics. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
- ^ "Kenni Burns - Football Coach". Western Michigan University Athletics. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
- ^ "Kenni Burns, Running Backs Coach (FB), Minnesota Golden Gophers". 247Sports. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
- ^ "Kent State Names Kenni Burns as 23rd Head Football Coach in Program History". Kent State Golden Flashes. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
External links
[edit]- 1983 births
- Living people
- American football running backs
- Indiana Hoosiers football players
- Kent State Golden Flashes football coaches
- Millersville Marauders football coaches
- Minnesota Golden Gophers football coaches
- North Dakota State Bison football coaches
- Southern Illinois Salukis football coaches
- Western Michigan Broncos football coaches
- Players of American football from Springfield, Illinois
- Coaches of American football from Illinois
- African-American coaches of American football
- 21st-century African-American sportsmen