St. Mary's Lax Book

Michael Burnett 2001 & 2002

I was the Head Coach at St. Mary’s for two years, 2001 and 2002, and was also an assistant under Jim Moorhead for five seasons. There is still a picture of Daffy Russell in my bedroom in the house I grew up in Arnold. Jim Moorhead made me the Head Coach when he was stepping down, and did it with none of today’s political nonsense. It was Jim, Sister Francita, and me. Sister Francita said, “Jim wants you to be the head coach…Then that is what we will do.” I felt honored to be taught the most important lesson of coaching from Jim which is that, “It’s not about you, it’s about the kids.” I have nothing but love and respect for JimMoorhead. My days as his assistant helped me expand many of my coaching philosophies I still have today. We developed a very strong friendship. When I was newly married, there was a “coaches meeting” at the Blue Channel following a Tuesday game. I got home at 2am and my wife asked what I learned at the meeting. I told her that I learned that Rob White could eat a lot of chicken wings! I’ve always tried to leave a place in better shape than when I got there. As for St. Mary’s and the remarkable foundation that Daffy and Jim set, that was a tall task. The year after I left, I felt good about that team I left for the new coach. St. Mary’s reached the MIAA Finals in 2003, but fell to Calvert Hall in the championship game. I knew that I did everything I could to uphold and maintain the impeccable reputation of St. Mary’s Lacrosse. Respectfully – Michael Burnett ‘79

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