Grandson of Hall-of-Fame Coach Signs with Houghton
(Houghton, N.Y.)—Corey
Burke, the son of Houghton College Hall-of-Honor member Steve Burke
and the grandson of National Association of Intercollegiate
Athletics’ (NAIA) Hall-of-Fame soccer coach Doug Burke, has signed a
letter of intent to play soccer at Houghton College.
The younger
Burke, a senior midfielder, was captain of the Wheaton (Ill.)
Academy team last fall. He scored six goals and had seven assists
and earned all-conference honors for the second consecutive year.
“Corey fits
to a ‘T’ the three criteria we look for in our athletes,” said
Matthew Webb, head coach of the Highlanders men’s soccer team, “He
is a good player, he’s a good student and he is spiritually
committed. We’re excited that Corey will be joining our program. The
Burke name obviously carries a storied history with the Houghton
soccer soccer program and Corey will be carrying on that tradition.”
The tradition
dates back at least to 1967, when Corey’s grandfather, Doug Burke,
coached Houghton’s first intercollegiate team—men’s soccer, which
went 1-1 that year. Coach Burke went on to post a 289-139-49 career
mark—all at Houghton—and took his teams to three appearances at the
NAIA national tournament.
Aside from
his impressive coaching accomplishments, Burke was active with the
NAIA Soccer Coaches Association, serving as the organization’s
president in 1982-83. In 1990, Burke was inducted into the NAIA
Soccer Hall of Fame. In 1999, Houghton College dedicated the soccer
field in its newly-renovated Alumni Athletic Complex to Burke and
his wife, Esther.
Doug’s son
and Corey’s father, Steve Burke, also made a mark at Houghton—on the
field of play. Steve played his junior and senior years for his dad
and the team was 34-4-1 in those two years. Burke was named most
valuable player both years and was the first Highlander athlete to
earn NAIA All-America First Team honors. In the fall he will enter
his 25th season as head soccer coach at Judson (Ill.)
College, where he has won more than 430 games and now ranks second
all-time in the NAIA.
And why
didn’t Corey follow his father to Judson? “I think that Corey might
have felt some pressure playing for me,” says Steve, “Although I
would not put pressure on him, it’s just natural that he would have
that. He has visited Houghton and been impressed with the school,
the location and the support that the soccer program gets there. Of
course, it’s my alma mater, his grandpa is famous there, and he
feels very comfortable in that setting. With all of the Burke
connections, it’s a very logical place for him to choose! I’m happy
and excited for him to go to Houghton.”
And perhaps
Burke had one more connection that helped him choose Houghton: his
high school coach Chip Huber is one Webb’s best friends—the two were
even teammates on the Bethel (Minn.) College soccer team.
Whatever the
case, Webb is happy to have Burke coming to Houghton. “Corey is a
very welcome addition to our program,” he says, “He has excellent
vision of the field and distributes the ball well and will add depth
to our midfield. Playing on Burke Field will be a particularly
special thing for him given what his grandfather and father have
meant to our program. Having said that, Corey has made a name for
himself and his being invited to our program is based on his own
abilities and potential.”
Pictured, from
left to right: Highlander Head Coach Matthew Webb, Corey Burke, Doug
Burke
