Edward Burke (Basketball)-ja.cruzcal.org

Edward J. Burke (December 4, 1945-March 23, 2009) was an American college basketball coach who led the Drexel Dragons Men’s Basketball Program from 1977 to 1991.

Childhood and high school

Burke was born in 1945 as the fourth of five siblings. He liked to comment that he was the only brother who did not participate in religious life. He participated in St. Joseph Prep and was a point guard on the high school basketball team. With NBA player Matt Guokas, Burke joined the 1962 Philadelphia Catholic League Championship Team as a junior. The team lost 61-52 to West Philadelphia High School in the city title game. As a senior, Burke led the entire Catholic League in scoring.

College

Burke played at LaSalle University from 1963 to 1967. I ended my senior season career with a serious knee injury.

Early coaching career

After graduating from LaSalle, Burke got a job as a freshman coach at his alma mater, St. Joseph Prep. He was soon promoted to head coach and won the 1971 Catholic League Championship. Phil Martelli, the current coach of St. Joseph, was a member of the team, and Burke said, “I personalized my coaching. It was about you as a person. He used a lot of humor. The following year, Burke coached St. Thomas More High School for the Catholic League title and the 1972 City Championship. Burke has been honored with the Catholic League Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. He is the only coach to achieve this feat in two different high schools. St. Thomas More was closed in 1975, and Burke came to Bishop McDavid and West Catholic for a year, respectively.

Drexel

Drexel hired Burke as his new head coach in 1977. For several years in the 1980s, his top assistants were Villa Nova’s director Jay Wright and former Bucknell’s director Pat Flannery. His best season was from 1985 to 1986, when the Dragons, led by Michael Anderson, won 19 and defeated Hoffstra in the title game of the East Coast Conference to qualify for the school’s first NCAA tournament. Drexel received 15 seeds and lost 93 to 73 to final national champion Louisville in the first round. At the end of the season, he was named Coach of the Year at the East Coast Conference and Michael Anderson was the first Drexel player to be named NBA. In 1987, he coached the Dragons in Paraestra over a naval school led by David Robinson.

Burke was released after losing the 12-16 season from Drexel University on March 8, 1991, after losing three consecutive years. According to Drexel’s Vice President of Student Life, Richard E. Woodling, Drexel When the school moved to the North Atlantic Conference from 1991 to 1992, it wanted to move in a “new direction.” George Washington’s assistant, Bill Herrion, succeeded him. In Burke’s 14 seasons, he set a record of 205 to 189. His 205 victories are the second highest number among Drexel coaches.

Life after that

After working at Drexel University, Burke returned to coaching St. Joseph Prep, where he coached from 1992 to 1999. Barks Inn, a restaurant in Havertown, Pennsylvania. He added it to the menu and turned the tavern into a sports bar.

dead

In 2009, Burke was diagnosed with lung cancer. He was about to be treated when he died on March 23 in Havertown at the age of 63. He survived by his wife, Bette Ann. His children, Melissa, Maureen, Brendan. And five grandchildren. Burke was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Edon.

Career coaching achievements

Edward J. Burke’s career coaching record is as follows:

Reference