Kenni Burns
| 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) |
| 2014-2015 | Wyoming (WR) |
| 2016 | Western Michigan (RB) |
| 2017–2018 | Minnesota (RB) |
| 2019–2022 | Minnesota (AHC/RB) |
| 2023–2024 | Kent State |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 1–23 |
Kenni Burns (born November 24, 1983) is an American college football coach and former player. He was most recently the head football coach for Kent State University, serving for two seasons from 2023 to 2024. He is the former running backs coach and assistant head coach for Minnesota Golden Gophers football.[1]
Playing career
Burns was a three-year letter winner at Indiana. As a student there he played running back from 2003 to 2006.
Coaching career
Minnesota
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
On December 14, 2022, Burns was named the head coach for the Kent State Golden Flashes.[4] His initial contract was for five years, starting at $525,000/year with minor increases in 2025 and 2027, amounting to $2.7 million in total.[5] Kent State extended Burns through 2028 following the 2023 season.[6]
Kent State placed Burns on administrative leave on March 27, 2025. At the time, his overall record was 1–23. Offensive coordinator Mark Carney took over day-to-day operations.[7] Kent State fired Burns on April 11 and confirmed Carney as the interim head coach.[8]
Personal life
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.[9]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent State Golden Flashes (Mid-American Conference) (2023–2024) | |||||||||
| 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
- ^ "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.
- ^ Pluto, Terry (December 29, 2022). "Looking deep into the 5-year, $2.7 million contract for new Kent State football coach Kenni Burns". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
- ^ "Burns Inks One-Year Contract Extension". Kent State University. February 23, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
- ^ Vannini, Chris (March 27, 2025). "Kent State places coach Kenni Burns on administrative leave". The Athletic. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
- ^ Thomas, George M. (April 11, 2025). "Kent State fires football head coach Kenni Burns after putting him on leave". USA Today. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
- ^ "Kent State officially names new head football coach". WKBN-TV. December 14, 2022. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2025.