The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Burnett named 2020 OHSAA top coach
For the past 25 years, Erik Burnett has put together an illustrious career as the head coach of the Elyria wrestling team.
On March 3, Burnett added another accolade to that career, as the Pioneers coach was named Ohio’s coach of the year for the 2019-2020 season.
“It’s really cool for our program,” Burnett said. “Our staff is amazing, and our kids are amazing. Last year’s team really dealt with a lot so being honored for that year is a win all around for our program.”
Burnett was given the award in a letter sent by OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute.
Last year the Pioneers put together a fantastic season, finishing second as a team in the state duals tournament before sending all 14 wrestlers to the district tournament, nine of whom made it to a state tournament that was canceled due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
“Last season was a heck of a lot of fun,” Burnett said. “It was a special year with not a great ending.”
Four Pioneers seniors went on to wrestle collegiately, as Mick Burnett (Pittsburgh) and Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) graduated to Division I programs while Bryce Allison (Tiffin) and Ben Doehr (Lake Erie) are wrestling at the division II level.
The team also boasted four underclassman Division I commits in Nate Burnett (Clarion), Peyton Fenton (Virginia), Jake Evans (Indiana) and Enrique Munguia (Kent State).
Not only did Burnett get to coach both of his sons, but he also got to see them succeed, as Nate claimed his second straight state qualification while Mick finished third in the public voting for Ohio’s best wrestler along with being named the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award winner.
“We had a really fun group of kids who are still really tight,” Erik Burnett said.
In Burnett’s time with Elyria, the Pioneers hold a 287-98 dual meet record and 13 conference championships across three different conferences.
On an individual level, he’s coaching 93 state qualifiers, 59 state placers, 25 state finalists and 12 state champions.
Burnett was previously named the OHSAA coach of the year in 2016 along with being named the coach of the year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association in 2015 and 2020.
“I can’t say enough about our program,” Burnett said. “Everybody on the coaching staff along with our support group and parents helped us win this award. Everybody plays and role and without their determination this doesn’t happen.”
The award comes as Burnett and the Pioneers are less than 24 hours away from the start of this year’s district tournament.
After finishing in first place at last weekend’s Midview Sectional, the Pioneers will have 11 wrestlers looking to punch their ticket to the state tournament.
March 5 will have all the weight classes wrestling to the semifinal round before they’ll wrestle to completion March 6 in two different sessions.
“We have a job to do and hopefully everyone’s preparing the way they should,” Burnett said. “The district tournament is tough and we’re going to need to be prepared for everything. Our guys are going to need to be focused. If you take a break you get beat.”