Anthony Burns coaches Maple Heights in a game against Euclid during the 2022-23 season. (Tim Phillis – For The News-Herald)
Coach Anthony Burns reshaped the Maple Heights program in his two seasons at the helm.
The Mustangs battled no matter the level of their opponents, and Burns was named the Northeast Lakes Division I Coach of the Year after the 2022-23 season when they made a district semifinal.
Next season is a new challenge for Burns, as he takes over the Hawken program. In his time with the Mustangs, Burns led the team to its longest win streak and most wins in a season in school history.
While he is proud of the impact he had on the Maple Heights program, Burns is excited for the next chapter of his coaching career.
“There was no specific right time for the move,” Burns said. “It’s Hawken if it was now or 10 years from now. There is no better all-around place to be.”
Hawken had a strong year a season ago, winning the CVC Chagrin title outright, and has been among the top 12 seeds in D-II the past two seasons. Next season, the Hawks find themselves among the teams in D-IV as a part of the OHSAA’s boys basketball expansion.
Burns looks at the sideline change as something he can take lessons learned from one spot to another to continue the growth of the Hawken program.
“I don’t think it will be that different at all. My groups at Maple had a lot of talent for sure, but we won games off of trusting each other and playing for one another every night,” Burns said. “It was never about just one person. They bought into the we vs. me mentality. So I don’t think it will be different or difficult to get my guys now to really understand the concepts of what it really takes to keep going at a high level.”
There will be some new names on the court for Hawken next season, as three of its starters graduated and the other two transferred to other schools.
But the different look isn’t something Burns is concerned about. He is excited about the next iteration of the Hawks and knows there’s going to be a lot of excitement around the youth of the team.
Many of the players were there for the run from a season ago to the conference title and have seen the work ethic that was put in by Taj Caver as the leader the past three seasons. Burns is confident that, along with his own blueprint for the team, spells a recipe for continuing the success of the program.
“I met a bunch of the guys already, and everyone seemed excited and fired up about the season,” Burns said. “A lot of them knew who I was and what I’m bringing to the program. They’re excited for the season and felt like all that was missing was that right guy to lead and motivate them. I think they’re up for the challenge and ready to push this thing to another level.”