Snyder fills staff opening with Burns

The departure of former defensive backs coach and co-defensive coordinator Vic Koenning, who left the Wildcats for Illinois nearly a month ago, created a hole in Bill Snyder's coaching staff. That hole has now been filled by an outside hire. GoPowercat.com has confirmed through multiple sources K-State's hiring of former San Jose State defensive coordinator Keith Burns.

The 49-year old Burns will join the Wildcats' staff as the team's defensive backs coach, but will not carry Koenning's additional defensive coordinator tag, as Snyder will allow K-State linebackers coach/co-defensive coordinator Chris Cosh to seize full control of those duties.

Burns, who spent the last five of years at San Jose State in a variety of roles including defensive coordinator and special teams coach, was the head coach at Tulsa from 2000 to 2002 and complied a 7-28 record during that stint.

A coaching veteran with 27-years of total experience, Burns has also served as the defensive coordinator at Arkansas, USC and Pacific.

Following the 1998 season, a year that he spent as a defensive coordinator at Arkansas under Houston Nutt, Burns was named an Broyles Award Finalist as one of the nation's top assistant coaches.