The Big Lead

Kent State fires football coach Kenni Burns amid investigation

By Sam Westmoreland

Sep 21, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Kent State Golden Flashes head coach Kenni Burns looks on from the field during a warmup prior to the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images
Sep 21, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Kent State Golden Flashes head coach Kenni Burns looks on from the field during a warmup prior to the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images
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The Kent State Golden Flashed brought an end to embattled head coach Kenni Burns' tenure at the school on Friday, firing the coach after two seasons at the helm, according to Chris Vannini of The Athletic.

Burns' time with the Golden Flashes has been tumultuous, to say the least. The on-field product has been actively abysmal over the course of his two seasons; Kent State went 1-23 over his two seasons, with their singular win coming over FCS program Central Connecticut State last year.

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The 2024 season was particularly brutal; the Golden Flashes went 0-12, the first team since 2019 to do so, and the first Kent State team to achieve the dubious distinction since 1998. They had a point differential of -362, by far the worst mark in FBS, and ranked at the bottom of the division in both offensive production and defense.

But Burns' tenure was also marked by controversy off the field; the school announced the coach was placed on administrative leave two weeks ago due to investigations into undisclosed issues, surrounding two wide-reaching sections of his contract.

The coach had also previously been sued by a local bank over nearly $24,000 in unpaid credit card debt, and a judge issued a default ruling in favor of the bank, but dismissed the case in January at the bank's request. Burns had also had similar financial issues at previous coaching stops, per The Athletic. While it's unclear at this point what Burns did, his firing is the latest blow for a Kent State program that continues to struggle to find its footing.

The Golden Flashes have had just six seasons with a record of .500 or better since 1985. They've made just three bowl games in that span, and have broken the 10-win barrier all of once in school history. They are routinely at or near the bottom of both the MAC and FBS, and have struggled to properly finance their football program for most of the last 25 years. It is frequently cited as the worst job in FBS, and they've struggled to attract top coaching talent as a result. This latest incident certainly won't help that reputation.

Offensive coordinator Mark Carney will serve as interim head coach this season while the school looks for a full-time replacement.

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