| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Kent State |
| Conference | MAC |
| Record | 1–11 |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | November 24, 1983 Springfield, Illinois, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Indiana |
| Playing career | |
| 2003–2006 | Indiana |
| Position(s) | Running back |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2007 | Millersville (RB) |
| 2008–2009 | Southern Illinois (TE) |
| 2010–2013 | North Dakota State (WR) |
| 2014 | Wyoming (WR) |
| 2016 | Western Michigan (RB) |
| 2017–2018 | Minnesota (RB) |
| 2019–2022 | Minnesota (AHC/RB) |
| 2023–present | Kent State |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 1–11 |
Kenni Burns (born November 24, 1983) is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head coach for the Kent State Golden Flashes football team and the former running backs coach and assistant head coach for Minnesota Golden Gophers football.[1]
Burns was a three-year letter winner at Indiana. As a student he played running back from 2003 to 2006.
Burns followed P. J. Fleck from Western Michigan to Minnesota 2017, as the running back coach.[2] In 2019, he was granted the additional title as assistant head coach. During his tenure, Burns coached Rodney Smith and all-American back Mohamed Ibrahim.[3]
On December 14, 2022, Burns was named the head coach for the Kent State Golden Flashes.[4] His head coaching debut against the University Of Central Florida in the 2023-24 season is considered one of the worst in FBS history leading the Golden Flashes to a 6-56 defeat. His first season as head coach, he would lead Kent State to a 1-11 record, the worst in FBS college football in the 2023-24 season. The only win of the season would be a win against the FCS Central Connecticut Blue Devils, the lowest ranked team in the FCS NEC at the time. Burns is currently on a multi-year 3+ million dollar coaching contract with Kent State Athletics which goes through the 2028 college football season.
Burns is from Springfield, Illinois. He graduated from Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in 2003 and attended Indiana University Bloomington where he graduated with a degree in general studies in 2006.
Burns and his wife, Ciara, have two children.
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent State Golden Flashes (Mid-American Conference) (2023–present) | |||||||||
| 2023 | Kent State | 1–11 | 0–8 | 6th (East) | |||||
| Kent State: | 1–11 | 0–8 | |||||||
| Total: | 1–11 | ||||||||