 John Burns enters his fourth season as the Head Men's Basketball Coach of the Fort Scott Community College Greyhounds. Each season the Greyhounds have improved under Burns’ leadership, going from 8 to 16 to 19 wins last season. Now for two straight seasons, Coach Burns has led the Greyhounds to a winning record, which has happened only one other time in the last 30 years, and to FSCC’s highest finish ever in the 19 team Jayhawk Conference.
Before leading the FSCC Greyhounds, Coach Burns elevated Highland High School in Gilbert, Arizona to a state power. In his three years as Highland's Head Coach, his teams won 70 games. In Burns’ first season, the team set a school record 25 wins and finished as state runner-up. The next year his team returned to the Final Four. In his final year, a new school record was established with 27 wins. The team also won the Thanksgiving Tournament in Tucson, Arizona, the Walter Wong Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii, the Fiesta League Championship, and the Fiesta Region Tournament Championship. For his team efforts, Burns was named Fiesta Region Coach of the Year. During his reign in Arizona, Burns spent his summers coaching the Nike sponsored Arizona Stars-Team Bibby. In his first summer, he assisted former Boston Celtic Danny Ainge. While at Highland, Burns also coached Ainge’s son, Tanner, and former Major League Baseball Pitcher Bruce Hurst’s son, Kyle. In the summer of 2003, Coach Burns was selected as one of 12 coaches in the United States to coach a team in the Nike Top 100 Camp in St. Louis, Missouri.
Prior to his time in Arizona, Coach Burns transformed a downtrodden Kearney High School Boys Basketball Program into state prominence. In just his third season as head coach, he led Kearney to their first league championship in 30 years by going undefeated in conference games and to their first Kearney Bulldog Tournament Championship ever. In Burns’ final season, Kearney repeated as league champions and tournament champions.
Before arriving in Kearney, Missouri, Coach Burns spent two years working as a Graduate Assistant at the University of Missouri. He assisted in off-season strength workouts, helped developed player’s skills with individual workouts, and initiated the recruiting process for potential athletes.
Coach Burns also spent one year as an assistant coach at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama, and one year as an assistant coach at Bishop Miege High School in Shawnee Mission, Kansas.
 As a player, Burns played collegiate basketball at the University of Missouri for legendary coach, Norm Stewart. Burns was a walk-on as a freshman, earned a scholarship for his final three years, and co-captain as a senior. Burns was a part of much success as represented in the 3 Big Eight Championships, 3 NCAA Tournaments, and a #1 ranking in the nation.
Coach Burns has Business Administration Degree and a Master's Degree of Business Education from University of Missouri.
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