He most recently served as analyst at UCLA, and defensive backs coach at the University of Southern California.
Burns played defensive back at Washington State University where he was a four-year letter-winner.
Burns spent a year as a graduate assistant at Washington State in 1996 and earned his master's degree from WSU in 1997.
In 2006 Burns moved on to the professional ranks, coaching defensive backs for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In 2013 Burns was named to the staff at UMass to serve as the teams' defensive backs coach.