Missouri Tigers cross country head coach Marc Burns steps down after eight seasons
Missouri Tigers cross country head coach and assistant track and field coach Marc Burns is stepping down after eight seasons to pursue an opportunity outside of coaching, the program announced on Tuesday.
Burns, who is leaving to work for Boost Treadmills, will stay on as a volunteer assistant coach while the school finds his replacement.
“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 eight years,” Burns said in a release. “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 sons’ athletic endeavors.
“...I want to thank [track and field head 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.”
Burns coached notable Mizzou runners Karissa Schweizer, Megan Cunningham and Jamie Kempfer. Schweizer won multiple national titles and All-American honors for the Tigers before becoming the program’s first female Olympian since 1996.
The women’s cross country team has qualified for the NCAA Championships 12 times in school history, one of which came under Burns in 2016. He also helped the women’s indoor team reach back-to-back top-10 finishes at the NCAA indoor meet in 2018 and 2019, two of only four times the program has done so, and was involved in the women’s team earning a program-best No. 11 finish in the NCAA in 2018.
“Marc will be leaving our program in a better place, although his positive energy and passion for Mizzou will be deeply missed.” Halter said. “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.”
This story was originally published November 30, 2021 at 11:00 AM.
