Kevin Burke enters his second season as head coach and his 16th overall at Gettysburg in 2019. Burke was named head coach in the winter of 2017 following 14 years as offensive coordinator.
Burke has helped the Bullets become one of the top offensive teams in the Centennial Conference and Division III. Since installing a unique set known as the “Spread Wing” in 2005, Gettysburg has led the Centennial Conference in total offense five times, rushing offense seven times, and passing offense twice. The Bullets have figured among the top-25 in Division III in rushing five times during the same stretch, and in 2009 Gettysburg finished fourth in Division III in total offense, averaging 493.1 yards per game.
In 2015, Gettysburg started the season by breaking the school and Centennial Conference record for rushing yards in a game with 574 in the opener against Bridgewater. The team finished as the league leader with 245.1 rushing yards per game. The Bullets also set a new single-season school record in touchdowns passes with 25. Gettysburg finished 7-3 overall and 6-3 in conference play.
In 2013, Gettysburg led the Centennial Conference in passing offense at 256.2 yards per game while also ranking second in total offense (459.2 ypg) and third in rushing offense (203.0 ypg). The Bullets also finished 26th nationally in total offense. In one of the team's top performances of the season, the Orange and Blue piled up 722 yards – a mark that ranks second in school history – in the team's season-opening win at Misericordia University. In 2010, the squad led the conference in scoring offense (39.4 points per game), total offense (464.1 yards per game), and rushing offense (248.2 ypg) while finishing 13th in Division III in all three categories. In addition, the Bullets set school records for points (394), touchdowns (53), and rushing touchdowns in a regular season (33) in 2010.
In 2009 Gettysburg also set a number of offensive school records, including passing yards, pass completions, receiving yards, pass receptions, all-purpose yards, and total offense. In the team's 59-14 homecoming victory over Juniata College, Gettysburg rushed for a school-record 525 yards, a mark that ranks second in Centennial Conference history.
Since Burke took the over as offensive coordinator, Gettysburg has received 44 all-conference citations on the offensive side of the ball. Running back Tom Sturges ’08 was named CC Offensive Player of the Year and quarterback Matt Flynn ’10 smashed nearly all the program’s passing records, including career passing yards (7,921) and career passing touchdowns (56). Sturges was also hailed as a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association. Burke has coached six wide receivers that have accumulated over 1,000 career yards at Gettysburg, including all-time leader Aden Twer ’14 (2,225). Ten players have recorded over 1,000 career rushing yards, including the only four quarterbacks in program history.
Before arriving at Gettysburg, Burke served as the head coach at Juniata College from 1998-2003. During that time he helped the Eagles establish program records in nearly every offensive category. His best season came in 1999, when Juniata went 6-4 and finished second in the MAC Commonwealth Division - the best showing in school history at that time.
Burke was a two-sport athlete at Gettysburg, competing in football and track and field. He received a degree in history in 1990 and went on to earn a master’s at SUNY Stony Brook in 1992. He coached at Stony Brook and Hamilton College before a stint as the offensive coordinator at Juniata. Burke went on to coach at Norwich University before returning to Juniata.
Burke has been an avid supporter of Gettysburg and its athletic programs through the years. He is a constant fixture at campus and athletic events, often bringing his family along. His wife, Julia, is a 1993 graduate of Gettysburg. Burke’s daughter Elizabeth is currently a junior on the basketball team at Ursinus College, while his son Colin, is a senior at Biglerville High School.
Career Highlights
- Second season as head coach
- 16th season overall at Gettysburg
- Architect of "Spread Wing" offense
- Bullets led league in rushing seven times
- Fourth in nation in total offense in 2009 (493.1)
- Coached 44 all-conference performers
- Former head coach at Juniata (1998-03)
- Competed in football and track at Gettysburg (1986-90)
