Every Missouri men’s cross-country workout varies, whether by the time of day, mood or mileage. But at the beginning and end of every workout, there’s always one guy pumping runners up, going around and talking, reminding runners to get good rest and food.
“[Marc Burns is] a very positive coach,” redshirt freshman Tyler Gillam said. “He’s always up and ready to go and get things done. He gives off energy, which is good. … Sometimes at 6 in the morning [for practice], you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ But Burns is all energetic, asking, ‘Are you ready to go?’”
It’s been two years since Burns came to Mizzou and former coach Joe Lynn left. When Burns took over, the whole dynamic of the men’s team changed.
“Whereas right now as a senior I’m running 80 miles per week, I was doing 85 miles per week as a freshman under Joe Lynn, and I would have progressed to 100 miles,” redshirt junior Sheldon Keence said.
Lynn believed longer distances meant better results. Burns believes in shorter distances but higher-quality runs. Though the distances are shorter, the transition wasn’t smooth and easy.
“It was tough at first to get the whole team to buy in,” Keence said. “When you come in and you’ve chosen to do long-distance training, you think that must work, because you’ve chosen to come [to Mizzou specifically] for that long-distance training. So whenever that whole philosophy changes, it catches you off guard.”
Some runners did leave, unable to adjust to Burns’ new style. But the runners who’ve stuck with it do not regret staying.
“I think it took a bit of time for everybody to get used to the coaching style,” redshirt senior Drew White said. “I haven’t ever seen the team any better than we are right now.”
It wasn’t just the workouts that changed, but the atmosphere, too. Many of the runners constantly described Burns as far more laid-back and hands-off.
“He puts more responsibility on us, and it keeps us accountable,” Gillam said. “I think the team tries to keep everyone else accountable, so it instills more of a team dynamic. He wants to make you be responsible for what you’re doing. That way, you’re more invested.”
Burns isn’t a novice coach. He coached three schools — Loyola, Wichita State and Bradley universities — before Mizzou. He built up a solid foundation in all three schools and led them to multiple regional titles. He was also a runner himself, from junior high through his years at Loyola University, his alma mater.
From these experiences, Burns developed a strength-based philosophy on balancing a team-orientated outlook with individualized focus. And that’s where understanding and connecting with athletes becomes key.
“Everybody comes in with a different background of training … If someone’s not ready for it, they’ll have a tendency to get hurt,” Burns said. “So you got to look at what people did in high school, talk to their high school coaches, find out what’s worked for them, find out how much volume they can handle.”
He does this because some college coaches disregard high school. “You’ve just raised quality and volume at the same time, and that’s a dangerous combo,” Burns said.
But understanding his athletes as runners is only one part; he also tries to understand them as people.
He talks about anything from sports to school with many of his runners to bridge the gap. When the connection is formed, he discusses the future with many of them, tries to get to know their families, and attempts to connect with them on a personal level.
“So if someone’s coming in and they’re freaking out over a big test, my first reaction is to say, ‘Look, go back and study and do great on that test,’” Burns said. “And then we’ll talk about your workout later. Or like, ‘Hey, I’m exhausted.’ ‘Okay, sleep in tomorrow, come and see me.’”
It’s not a one-way relationship; athletes get to know him as well. He sometimes brings his wife and four children to practices or races, and many runners appreciate the family feel.
His passion for running is obvious, something passed on by all of Burns’ former coaches. And in turn, that passion passes onto Burns’ Tigers.
“I think he’s stuck to his gun on what he believes in,” Keence said. “He was really passionate about what his coaching style was, and he did a good job making sure we bought into the system.”
Indeed, one of Burns’ proudest accomplishments was that after leaving Bradley, the team there still won multiple Missouri Valley Cross-Country titles.
“When you leave a place, you want to leave it better than when you got there,” he said. “And that’s exciting to see.”
And with Mizzou, his goal is no different.