Cross Country Coach Marc Burns Steps Down
11/29/2021 7:01:00 PM | Cross Country
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri cross country head coach Marc Burns will step down from his position after eight seasons, Head Track & Field Coach Brett Halter announced Monday.
Burns is departing the University to pursue a professional opportunity outside of coaching. He will stay with the program as a volunteer assistant coach until a replacement is hired.
"I am thrilled for Marc and his family as he pursues his new career with Boost Treadmills," Halter said. "Marc's achievements during his tenure have rewritten our history books. While NCAA Championships, All-Americans, School Records and Top-10 lists will always speak for themselves, what will get lost in the metrics is the quality and character of person Marc Burns brought to Mizzou and our student-athletes each day. Marc will be leaving our program in a better place, although his positive energy and passion for Mizzou will be deeply missed! I know I can speak for Tiger Nation in our appreciation of his efforts over the last eight years while thankful to his family for allowing him to devote so much of himself to Mizzou."
"It has been an honor to serve as the Head Cross Country Coach and Assistant Track & Field Coach at the University of Missouri over the past 8 years," Burns said. "I have decided to step back from full time coaching and go to work for Boost Treadmills. I am excited to start this new challenge that will allow me to continue to nurture all the relationships I have built in coaching over the years and provide some more weekend time to support our four son's athletic endeavors.
"Alongside Coach Shaylee Marr, Coach Stephen Smith and Coach Eileen Halter we have mentored some amazing young men and women and enjoyed watching their many successes in the classroom and on and off the track. I want to thank Coach Brett Halter for the opportunity he has given me and my family and for all the support he has provided along the way. Thank you to all of our support staff who are always there to help our student athletes anyway they can. Most importantly, I want to thank our student-athletes past and present for allowing me and my family to be a part of their journey. The future is bright for the current group of Tigers and I am looking forward to continuing to help out Coach Smith as a volunteer coach until Coach Halter hires a new coach."
During his eight seasons at Mizzou, Burns elevated the cross-country and distance programs significantly. He was a key player in the development and opening of the Gans Creek Cross Country Course, which recently hosted the Southeastern Conference Championships and will welcome runners for the 2022 NCAA Midwest Regional, 2025 NCAA Championships and the annual Gans Creek Classic – well on its way of becoming one of the top fall race draws in the Midwest.
During his coaching career, Burns has mentored 85 conference champions, 37 NCAA Championship qualifiers, 31 All-Region finishers, 15 All-Americans, seven conference team champions, six National Champions, six conference runner of the year honorees, two Honda Sports Woman of the Year Award winners and an Olympian. His athletes have set 23 school records, four collegiate Top-10 marks and one collegiate record.
His first seasons at Mizzou were highlighted by the historic success from runners like Karissa Schweizer, Megan Cunningham and Jamie Kempfer.
Leading the group, Schweizer finished her decorated collegiate career under Burns including six National Championships, 11 All-America honors, four Top-5 program records, and being named the 2018 USTFCCCA Women's Indoor Track National Athlete of the Year and the 2016 USTFCCA Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year. Going on to run for Bowerman Track Club, Schweizer became the first female Olympian in program history since coach Natasha (Kaiser) Brown in 1996.
Recently, the women's cross-country team captured a regional title and qualified for the NCAA Championships for the first time in more than a decade in 2016. The 2016 squad was one of only 12 teams in school history to reach the championship. Burns was also instrumental in guiding the women's indoor team to back-to-back Top-10 finishes at the NCAA indoor meet in 2018 and 2019 – two of only four teams in Mizzou history to place in the top 10. He also helped the women's outdoor team achieve its best-ever NCAA finish in 2018, placing No. 11.
He came to Mizzou after four years as the head cross country coach at Bradley and also had coaching stints at Wichita State and his alma mater, Loyola Chicago.
Burns and his wife, Alana (Crisman), have four sons - Connor, Brian, Sean, and Cris.
