Bishop Gorman enters 2023 with new coach, young roster

Published 8:14 am Friday, August 18, 2023

Bishop Gorman is welcoming in Ed Burns as its new head football coach for the 2023 season.

Burns has spent the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Crusaders.

Burns also served as the head middle school football, basketball and track coach, high school assistant basketball and track coach and strength and conditioning coach.

“The transition has been very smooth,” Burns said. “There’s been a lot of work, a lot of getting stuff together and getting things in place, just getting the camaraderie and building the excitement back in Gorman is my big concern right now.”

Burns inherits a youthful Crusaders squad in his first season at the helm.

“Our expectations are very high,” he said. “We have a very young squad. We are losing 13 seniors, and that’s big for anybody. But we have a lot of young guys that I’ve coached because I was a middle school coach last year. So we have a lot of young guys that’s coming in and excited to play. We’re looking at big things from them. It’s a beauty to have the high number of freshmen that I have, and I’ll be able to see them grow in the next four years. We also have a solid group that was already there and those seniors this year. I’m looking for nothing but great things from our squad this year.”

Burns was joined by seniors Edson Castro and Robby Dowdell and junior Pearson West at a fall sports media day at the CHRISTUS Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute on July 24 to talk about the upcoming season.

“We have pretty high expectations,” said Castro, who plays on the offensive and defensive lines.

“Our expectations are just to give 110 percent,” said West, a wide receiver and kicker.

“I just want our young kids to step up,” said Dowdell, a tight end and defensive end. “I think that’s a big part of our program. We have a lot of young guys, and we really need them to step up. If they can do that, I really think we will be alright this year.”

Gorman will play at Union Grove in the season opener on Aug. 24.