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Dan Burke at Palm Bay Steps Down - Article


OldSchoolLion

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http://spacecoastdaily.com/2019/05/longtime-palm-bay-football-head-coach-dan-burke-announces-retirement-after-23-seasons-with-pirates/

Dan Burke of Palm Bay Some highlights from his football career.

  • 23 seasons as coach at Palm Bay High School.  Began in 1996.
  • 2000 6A state champion(nationally ranked) and 2002 4A state champion.
  • 10 region title appearances and 5 region titles.
  • 35-19 record in the playoffs.  Made the playoffs 21 out of 23 seasons.
  • 2010 Florida Dairy Farmers Class 6A State Coach of the Year 
  • Burke was an offensive lineman (center and tackle) at UCF.  He was an AP Honorable Mention All-American in 1981.  
  • He signed with the USFL in 1984 and did several stints.
  • Burke was born in Melbourne, FL and graduated from Eau Gallie High School.
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We are losing the guy who is #4 on the list of coaches with the most tenure at their school.  I am afraid the age of coaches who spend 20 years at a school is going to be over soon.

1. Bill Castle/Lakeland-43 seasons-7 state titles

2. Verlon Dorminey/Trinity Christian-28 seasons-7 state titles

3. Earl Garcia/Hillsborough-26 seasons-1 state final appearance

4. Dan Burke/Palm Bay-23 seasons-2 state titles 

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7 minutes ago, ColumbiaHighFan2017class said:

Isn't Darrell Sutherland about to join list for his time at Bartram Trail

1. Bill Castle/Lakeland-43 seasons-7 state titles

2. Verlon Dorminey/Trinity Christian-28 seasons-7 state titles

3. Earl Garcia/Hillsborough-26 seasons-1 state final appearance

4. Dan Burke/Palm Bay-23 seasons-2 state titles 

5. Marty Lee/First Coast-22 seasons-1 state final appearance

6. Bill Kramer/Naples-21 seasons-2 state titles

7. Binky Waldrop/Charlotte-20 seasons-no state final appearances 

8. Darrell Sutherland/Bartram Trail-19 seasons-1 state title appearance

9.(tie) Jim Buckridge/Timber Creek-18 seasons-no state final appearances

10.(tie) Matt Hedrick/Bishop Moore-17 seasons-1 state title

10.(tie) Fort Myers-Sam Sirianni Jr-17 seasons-no state final appearances

10.(tie) Sandalwood-Adam Geis-17 seasons-no state final appearances

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There was a four year stretch around the turn of the century (too lazy to look it up) when Burke's Palm Bay and Tallahassee Lincoln were the top two programs in the state. Where each knocked the other out (semi's?) and won the title. They flip flopped for the championship in 4A and 6A (the largest class). I wrote about it once, when the mind was clearer....oh well  :)  

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17 minutes ago, Dan in Daytona said:

There was a four year stretch around the turn of the century (too lazy to look it up) when Burke's Palm Bay and Tallahassee Lincoln were the top two programs in the state. Where each knocked the other out (semi's?) and won the title. They flip flopped for the championship in 4A and 6A (the largest class). I wrote about it once, when the mind was clearer....oh well  :)  

1999-2002

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...on 2nd thought, I'll clear up the above confusion....

1999- 6A North semi's- Lincoln 24 - Palm Bay 21. Championship: Lincoln 21 - Miami Southridge 14.

2000- 6A North semi's- Palm Bay 21 - Lincoln 20 (OT). Championship: Palm Bay 10 - Dillard 6.

2001- 4A North semi's- Lincoln 24 - Palm Bay 21. Championship: Lincoln 28 - STA 20.

2002- 4A North semi's- Palm Bay 44 - Lincoln 21. Championship: Palm Bay 19 - Tampa Jefferson 10.

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5 hours ago, Dan in Daytona said:

2002- 4A North semi's- Palm Bay 44 - Lincoln 21. Championship: Palm Bay 19 - Tampa Jefferson 10.

I was at the semifinal. It was a cold evening with a wet, soggy field as rain had fallen before kickoff. The game was close through the end of the first half. Then Lincoln committed a series of errors in the second half, some, no doubt, induced by the conditions. Palm Bay took full advantage and pulled away for the easy win.

Early in the season, it was either the kickoff classic or game one of the regular season, Edgewater had won a double overtime victory over Palm Bay at Edgewater. I was at that game too which was a great contest between two very good teams. Edgewater was to lose the 6A title game 14-19 on a hail Mary from the Norland QB with seconds left on the clock. That, too, was a great game and marked the coldest night I have ever been at a game in Florida as it was in the 30s up in Tally. On the field for Norland was Duane Bowe while Edgewater had Mike Walker. Both would go on to good NFL careers with Walker's ending early due to injury. 

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4 hours ago, Dan in Daytona said:

...on 2nd thought, I'll clear up the above confusion....

1999- 6A North semi's- Lincoln 24 - Palm Bay 21. Championship: Lincoln 21 - Miami Southridge 14.

2000- 6A North semi's- Palm Bay 21 - Lincoln 20 (OT). Championship: Palm Bay 10 - Dillard 6.

2001- 4A North semi's- Lincoln 24 - Palm Bay 21. Championship: Lincoln 28 - STA 20.

2002- 4A North semi's- Palm Bay 44 - Lincoln 21. Championship: Palm Bay 19 - Tampa Jefferson 10.

That Dillard game will always be a thriller.

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1 hour ago, OldSchoolLion said:

Seems like Palm Bay and Rockledge started dropping off when Cocoa started rising up.  Anyone out there have any insights as to "why?"  Prior to 2000, one never heard much about football in Cocoa.     

Gerald Odom!!   Edit: better story below

 

http://spacecoastdaily.com/2013/05/odom-among-floridas-top-all-time-coaches/

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Palm Bay was/is  very good.  Nothing fancy offensively, but they would just line up and punch you in the mouth with their running game, then catch you sleeping with a pass.  They were always very physical and talented.  

Then, two different High Schools opened up in Palm Bay:  Heritage and Bayside...and each siphoned off athletes which would have normally belonged to Palm Bay   Coach Burke did a great job at keeping his team competitive year after year.  Even now, when you face a Burke-coached Pirate team.....you are in for a fight.  Sad to see Burke go....

 

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5 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Palm Bay was/is  very good.  Nothing fancy offensively, but they would just line up and punch you in the mouth with their running game, then catch you sleeping with a pass.  They were always very physical and talented.  

Then, two different High Schools opened up in Palm Bay:  Heritage and Bayside...and each siphoned off athletes which would have normally belonged to Palm Bay   Coach Burke did a great job at keeping his team competitive year after year.  Even now, when you face a Burke-coached Pirate team.....you are in for a fight.  Sad to see Burke go....

 

I wonder how many times this scenario has played out over the past 20 years and impacted programs similarly.

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1 hour ago, Dan in Daytona said:

I think Rockledge started slipping a little when Coach Wood left.  His Raider teams were unbelievably talented and physical.  Ran the Wing-T to perfection.  Had about five plays.....but no one could stop them.  I am not sure of his complete name, but they has a Defensive End named (Carlisle #3) ....could have been the most dominating player I have ever seen.  Wood retired about the same time ODOM showed back up at Cocoa.... Titusville, and Astronaut also felt the change.  

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9 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

I think Rockledge started slipping a little when Coach Wood left.  His Raider teams were unbelievably talented and physical.  Ran the Wing-T to perfection.  Had about five plays.....but no one could stop them.  I am not sure of his complete name, but they has a Defensive End named (Carlisle #3) ....could have been the most dominating player I have ever seen.  Wood retired about the same time ODOM showed back up at Cocoa.... Titusville, and Astronaut also felt the change.  

He stepped down from head coach and went on to coach the O-Line. Coach Pat Lusk kept the tradition going but the Rock wasn't ready for a complete change when it came to working with their talent. Still ran the same plays. Even when I played there from 04-08 when Cocoa won their first championship.

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On ‎6‎/‎1‎/‎2019 at 6:09 AM, OldSchoolLion said:

Seems like Palm Bay and Rockledge started dropping off when Cocoa started rising up.  Anyone out there have any insights as to "why?"  Prior to 2000, one never heard much about football in Cocoa.     

Prior to Gerald Odom becoming the Head Coach at Cocoa in 2002, the Tigers had a heavy set man as Head Coach who would run all kinds of trick formations and weird plays instead of concentrating on being fundamentally sound. The High School Principal at that time also wouldn't back up any discipline for the kids so good coaches wouldn't consider coaching there even though the school always has athletes and potential. Rockledge and Cocoa have an rivalry and compete for players I believe. Dan Burke always had a good program at Palm Bay. The book on the Pirates was that the team ran about five plays from two different formations, but they still couldn't be stopped because they were fundamentally sound and had great personnel.     

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