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BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
Joel Burrus will be hired as the new girls basketball coach at Rochester, pending approval at Monday’s school board meeting.
Burrus has been the boys basketball coach at Trinity Greenlawn since 2017, where he oversaw the fledgling Titan program as it gained IHSAA membership. Trinity Greenlawn went 65-40 in Burrus’ five years there, including a 15-8 record in 2021-22.
The season ended with a 51-34 loss to Triton in the school’s first ever sectional game on March 2.
Burrus’ teams are known for their stingy zone defenses. The year before Burrus arrived at Trinity Greenlawn, they allowed 62.8 points per game. In his five years there, his teams never allowed more than 38 points per game, and in the just concluded season, they allowed a state-best 29.1 points per game.
Opponents failed to score 30 points 12 times in 23 games against the Titans.
Burrus also has previous experience coaching girls. He coached Caston from 2014-16, compiling a 12-33 record there.
Burrus’ first head coaching experience was coaching the Lakeland Christian boys in 2013-14. He also is a former assistant coach at Indiana University-Kokomo.
Burrus is the son of Southwood boys basketball coach John Burrus. He is a North Miami grad who played for his father there and later was an assistant coach on his father’s staff at Southwood.
Burrus’ wife Ashley is a 2006 Rochester grad and a former all-TRC softball player. She was on Rochester softball teams that won back-to-back sectional titles in 2004 and 2005.
Burrus’ brother-in-law Austin Lowe was a starter on Rochester’s state runner-up team in 2009.
Burrus would replace Brian Jennings, who resigned after four seasons on Feb. 22.
Rochester went 16-8 last season. Earlier this week, the IHSAA revealed that Rochester will be moving up to Class 3A for the next two seasons.
