Frank Robert Burns (March 16, 1928 - July 14, 2012), the winningest coach in Rutgers Football history, passed away at the age of 84.
Coach Frank Burns recorded the 75th of his career 78 Rutgers victories and surpassed Harvey Harman’s 74 (1938-41, 46-55) for most Rutgers coaching victories with a 20-14 win at Richmond on October 30, 1982. He is also tops with a .643 winning percentage. Current coach Greg Schiano has 76 Rutgers coaching victories.
- in the New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame (2003)
- coached the first Bowl Game in Rutgers history in 1978
- coached the 1976 undefeated team
- 1976 recipient of the Walter Camp Football Foundation National Coach of the Year Award (Greg Schiano won in 2006)
- one of seven Rutgers head coaches to have also been a former Rutgers player (and the last as of 2022)
- youngest head coach in America when he took over the John Hopkins program at age 23 and 1/2 in 1951 and 1952
- 1949 MVP with the Eastern College All-Stars who defeated the NFL champion New York Giants 28-13 at the Polo Grounds
- drafted in 1949 by the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles and the Cleveland Browns of the All-American Football Conference (AAFC); took Rutgers freshman coaching job instead and played for minor league Jersey City Giants
Rutgers quarterback Frank Burns in action during the 1946 Rutgers-Princeton game. Start at 2:48 of the following video:
Coach Frank Burns recorded the 75th of his career 78 Rutgers victories and surpassed Harvey Harman’s 74 (1938-41, 46-55) for most Rutgers coaching victories with a 20-14 win at Richmond on October 30, 1982. He is also tops with a .643 winning percentage. Current coach Greg Schiano has 76 Rutgers coaching victories.
- in the New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame (2003)
- coached the first Bowl Game in Rutgers history in 1978
- coached the 1976 undefeated team
- 1976 recipient of the Walter Camp Football Foundation National Coach of the Year Award (Greg Schiano won in 2006)
- one of seven Rutgers head coaches to have also been a former Rutgers player (and the last as of 2022)
- youngest head coach in America when he took over the John Hopkins program at age 23 and 1/2 in 1951 and 1952
- 1949 MVP with the Eastern College All-Stars who defeated the NFL champion New York Giants 28-13 at the Polo Grounds
- drafted in 1949 by the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles and the Cleveland Browns of the All-American Football Conference (AAFC); took Rutgers freshman coaching job instead and played for minor league Jersey City Giants
Rutgers quarterback Frank Burns in action during the 1946 Rutgers-Princeton game. Start at 2:48 of the following video:
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