Missouri hires cross country coach

Missouri hired Marc Burns on Friday to take over the cross country program.

Burns had been the head track and field coach at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., since 2010. He served as the head cross country coach and a track and field assistant at Wichita State during 2006-10.

Burns started his coaching career at his alma mater, Loyola University in Chicago, where he served as head cross country and track and field coach for 10 years beginning in 1996.

“We are thrilled to bring coach Burns into our family,” Missouri track and field coach Brett Halter said in a release from MU Athletics. “He is a true Tiger who embodies our core values of academic integrity, social responsibility and athletic excellence. He has demonstrated over the years that he has been able to win in the lives of the athletes he has coached, as well as equipping each of those athletes with the tools necessary to win in our sport.”

Burns’ father is a Missouri graduate.

“I grew up as a boy with posters of (former Tigers running back) Tony Galbreath on my walls and a Missouri football helmet on my nightstand,” Burns said. “So, this is also kind of a dream come true for me to be able to come to Mizzou and be a Tiger.”

He continued, “I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and would like to thank Mike Alden, Mitzi Clayton and coach Halter for the opportunity to come to Missouri and become a Tiger.”

Burns was the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Midwest Region assistant coach of the year in 2009 and was a four-time Missouri Valley Conference cross country coach of the year.

He replaces former cross country coach Joe Lynn, who was suspended in late April for an undisclosed personnel matter.

Burns and his wife, Alana, have four sons — Connor, Brian, Sean and Cris.

This story was originally published July 11, 2014 at 7:34 PM with the headline "Missouri hires cross country coach."