Staff Directory
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Named one of the Top 50 players in Atlantic Coast Conference lacrosse history in August 2002, Michael Burnett returned home to where he played his college lacrosse when he was named an assistant lacrosse coach at North Carolina one month later. Burnett is now in his fourth year as a Tar Heel assistant heading up the UNC offensive scheme.
In Burnett's second year of coordinating the UNC offense in 2004, the Tar Heels exhibited great improvement in their offensive game, averaging 11.37 goals per game. He tutored junior attackman Jed Prossner who became the first Tar Heel at that position to earn first-team All-America honors since Dennis Goldstein in 1991. Prossner was also a finalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy as National Player of the Year in 2004.
In 2005, Prossner won All-ACC honors for the third year in a row, only the third Tar Heel in history to win All-AC accolades three years in a row and the first Tar Heel to do so since 1983. Prossner also became only the third UNC attackman in history to win first-team All-America honors two or more years in succession. In 2005, Prossner and Mike McCall ended their careers as two of the most prolific goal scorers in UNC history. Prossner ranks second all-time at UNC with 113 goals and McCall is tied for sixth with 102 goals.
Burnett has been coaching in various capacities at the college and high school level since 1985 when he was awarded his bachelor's degree at North Carolina. Before he returned to Chapel Hill, he had served as the head boys lacrosse coach at St. Mary's High School in Annapolis, Md., in 2001 and 2002. St. Mary's is the school where Burnett played his high school lacrosse before becoming a Tar Heel player in 1979.
Burnett, who received his Bachelor of Science degree in recreation administration, was one of the most vaunted players in ACC history. He was named a first-team All-America in 1981 and 1982, years in which he led Carolina to back-to-back undefeated seasons. He was a second-team All-America in 1983 and an honorable mention All-America choice in 1980. Burnett was chosen All-ACC in 1981, 1982 and 1983. He was also accorded honors as the 1981 ACC Player of the Year.
Burnett led the Tar Heels to four NCAA final four appearances and UNC lost only eight games during his playing days in Chapel Hill.
Even to this day, Burnett is tied for third in UNC history in points with 190. He is second in assists in Carolina history with 106. He finished his four-year career with 84 goals as well but was probably best known as one of the great feeders in college lacrosse history.
Potentially, his greatest performance as a Tar Heel came on May 2, 1981 when he had four goals and five assists in a 19-17 win over NC State.
Burnett started his coaching career in 1985 as a volunteer assistant coach for the Tar Heels under the tutelage legendary Tar Heel head mentor Willie Scroggs. In 1986 and 1987, he was an assistant coach at the U.S. Naval Academy before entering high school coaching.
He was an assistant coach at the Severn School in Severna Park, Md,. from 1988 to 1990 before serving as the head boys lacrosse coach there from 1991 to 1993. In 1996, Burnett was named the junior varsity coach at St. Mary's, then was promoted to offensive coordinator and assistant coach for the varsity from 1997-2000. In 2001, he took over the reins as head coach. In 2002, he coached the Baltimore Sun's Metro Player of the Year there.
Burnett has served as the lacrosse camp director at both St. Mary's and Severn. He worked as a physical education teacher at Severn for three years before entering private business, including working as a sales representative for Corporate Sports in Gambrills, Md.
Burnett and his wife Inger are the parents of two daughters and one son--Emily, nine, Hannah, eight, and Jack, six.
Michael Burnett
• Born June 1. 1961 in Pontiac, Mich.
• Married to Inger Marie Bauer October 14, 1994 on the Cayman Islands
• Children: Emily Grace, born May 5, 1996 in Annapolis, Md.; Hannah Louise, born October 9, 1997 in Baltimore, Md.; John Michael "Jack", born May 7, 1999 in Annapolis, Md.
