FWCD Names Keith Burns New Head Football Coach/Program Director

FWCD named Keith Burns as its new varsity head football coach and program director, effective May 1, 2021. Following a nationwide search, Burns was one of three semifinalists chosen to be interviewed on campus. His impressive resume –– consisting of more than 30 years of experience coaching at esteemed colleges and universities, in the NFL, and at the high school level –– led to Burns’ selection. He comes to FWCD from the University of Texas at El Paso, where he has been serving as Senior Director of Recruiting and Player Personnel and Secondary/Safeties Coach.

“Keith’s range and depth of coaching experience and his enthusiasm for working with young athletes are the factors that set him apart,” said incoming Athletic Director Leigh Block. “He will connect with parents, colleagues and players in meaningful ways, and build on FWCD’s past athletic success stories while taking our football program to an even higher level.”

A graduate of L.D. Bell High School, Burns played at the University of Arkansas under head coach Lou Holtz and earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education. Some of Coach Burns’s coaching accolades include being named a three-time “Coach of the Week” while at Archbishop Mitty High School, an award given by the San Francisco 49ers. As Special Teams Coach for the Oakland Raiders, he led his players to set a franchise record for blocked punts, and their special teams were ranked 10th out of 32 NFL teams. In his college coaching days, Coach Burns was a finalist for the Broyles Award, which annually honors college football’s top assistant coach.

While his college career allowed him to coach numerous future professional players, Coach Burns shared that the highlight of his career thus far has been coaching at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, California.

“We went to the Northern California State Playoffs all four years and the finals twice. It was the most fulfilling job I have had thus far,” Burns said. “The purity of high school football is what makes it so special. There is no better feeling than riding the school bus after a victory or helping to ease the pain of a defeat. These life lessons are what help shape a young man, and I consider it a privilege to influence and impact their life.”

Head of School Eric Lombardi said, “All of our athletic staff are true experts in their sport and devoted to educating and role modeling for students. Coach Burns knows he is inheriting a program with a record of significant success, including three Southwest Preparatory Conference 3A championships within the past five years. FWCD’s athletic tradition and success no doubt had a great deal to do with the strength of our candidate pool in this search.”

Read the communication shared earlier this week with families of students in grades 6-11.