Never in his wildest dreams did Zohn Burden see himself as a football coach.
No, he instead saw himself playing in the NBA or NFL.
A two-sport star at Salem High in Virginia Beach, Burden helped lead the SunDevils to a Class AAA state title in basketball in 2001 under coach Bill Cochrane.
That fall he was named first-team All-Tidewater at wide receiver under coach Chris Beatty, now an assistant coach with the Las Vegas Raiders.
But this fall, Burden is in his 19th season as a assistant college football coach, and is in his fourth season at Duke University.
He chuckles when he thinks about it.
“It’s crazy because Coach Cochrane was a UNC fan,” Burden said about his former basketball coach. “Growing up, he used to take us to Carolina games and we used to see Dean Smith. And now I’m coaching at Duke. It’s crazy how life works.”
Former Salem High two-sport star Zohn Burden is in his 19th season as a college football coach, currently at Duke. (Courtesy photo/Zohn Burden)
Burden has built an impressive resume with stops at Old Dominion, Richmond, Virginia Tech and Maryland.
After being released by Virginia Tech after the 2019 season, Burden returned to Hampton Roads and started G.A.M.E. Academy — Guiding Athletes through Mentoring and Education.
His goal was help athletes gain information about strength and speed training, along with position specific training and off-the-field advice on ACT/SAT prep, NCAA eligibility, nutrition and public speaking.
His academy became more important during COVID when the Virginia High School League postponed the football season. He started a 7-on-7 club football league that helped fill the gap left when the VHSL postponed the football season from the fall to the spring.
Burden returned to coaching in 2021 and spent one season at Maryland before arriving at Duke in 2022. On Saturday, the Blue Devils (2-2) play at Syracuse.
“I just love being around the game. I always wanted to play in the NBA or making it in the NFL, and I never did,” he said. “But just staying close to the game and also being able to help kids become better men at 22 then they were at 18 years old and help them accomplish their dreams, has been a blessing to me.”
Burden has been instrumental in recruiting the 757 wherever he’s coached. Some of top 757 talent he’s recruited includes Devon Hunter, Tayvion Robinson, Nick Mayers, Christian Byrum and Peyton Jones.
He’s done it not by promising the world to the players, but by being honest.
“I think you gain a lot more respect as a coach and recruiter that way,” said Burden, who was a three-time All-Big South wide receiver at Virginia Military Institute. “You do lose some people along the way because people don’t want to hear that, but you get the ones you’re supposed to get. In the recruiting process, you hear so much BS. But if you get straight to the point, people appreciate that more.”
Burden and Jones met at GAME Academy.
“It’s really crazy how our paths crossed,” said Jones, a former All-Tidewater running back at Maury High. “We kept in contact and he was recruiting me when he was at Maryland. Then he made the decision to come to Duke. It just worked out.
“He’s from the VA, and he knew a lot of the mentors and coaches that I had around me. So, it was a no-brainer, really.”
Jones also respected Burden as a coach because of his “straightforwardness.”
“I respect him because he keeps it honest with the players. It’s easy to deal with him,” said Jones, who has played in 26 games for the Blue Devils. “He’s also helped me in things outside of football and how I carry myself. He’s helped me grow.”
Burden said recruiting has changed dramatically during the transfer portal and NIL era, but it hasn’t changed him. Early in his coaching career, Burden reached out only to high school coaches to recruit.
Now, he communicates with agents of high school players.
“People want money. It’s a whole lot different than it was when I first started coaching,” he said with a chuckle. “For us at Duke, we still attract a certain kind of kid, a certain kind of player who has been raised on excellence in the classroom — on and off the field. We have a culture here that you want to be a part of. It’s hard work. It’s blue-collar.”
Former Salem High two-sport star Zohn Burden is in his 19th season as a college football coach, currently at Duke. (Courtesy photo/Zohn Burden)
And that’s why he loves coaching with Duke head coach Manny Diaz, who used to recruit the 757 when he was an assistant coach.
“We have a great head coach, who really really cares about the kids,” Burden said. “He doesn’t just say it, but really means it.”
Diaz is thankful for Burden, too.
“Zohn is immensely important to our staff. We feel fortunate to be able to retain him,” he said, adding that Burden recruiting the 757 is crucial for the Blue Devils. “He has a great connection with our players. He’s a detailed-oriented guy.”
Burden loves what he’s doing. But he also has dreams of being a head coach one day.
“That’s the ultimate goal,” he said. “People say if you do a good job with the job you got, good things will happen. So that’s what I’m doing right now. If the opportunity presents itself, I’ll do my best to take advantage of it. But right now I’m just trying to do the best that I can do with the job that I have, and keep on getting better.”
And that means to continue recruiting the 757. The Blue Devils currently have Jones, safety Leon Griffin III (Bayside), cornerback Vontae Floyd (Maury) and defensive tackle David Anderson (Kecoughtan).
“It means the world to me that the parents trust me with their son and that I have their best interest,” said Burden, who along with his wife, Toren, has seven children. “I take a lot of pride in making sure that even if I’m not coaching them at their position, they know they have someone in the organization who is going to look after them and give them everything they need to be successful. It’s a sense of pride to take care of those kids.”
Larry Rubama, 757-575-6449, larry.rubama@pilotonline.com
