Marietta High School Blue Devil Football

2011 will mark the second year with Scott Burton at the helm of the Blue Devil Football program.  In his first season as head coach, Coach Burton led the Blue Devils to a disappointing 2-8 mark.  “I’m really looking forward to helping Marietta get back to where it belongs…..THE PLAYOFFS,” said Coach Burton in a recent interview. 

Prior to his arrival in Marietta, Coach Burton enjoyed a successful coaching career at both the high school and collegiate levels.   Most recently, Burton coached at the University of Richmond, where he served as an assistant coach for the Spiders in 2008 and 2009.  Over the course of those two seasons, the Spiders posted an impressive 24-5 record and won 17 consecutive games during one stretch.  Richmond captured the Division I National Championship in 2008 with a 13-3 overall record.  The following season (2009), the Spiders finished 11-2 and won the Colonial Athletic Association Conference Championship.  While serving on the Richmond coaching staff, Burton directed the Tight Ends and Wide Receivers. 

Before making the coaching leap to the college ranks, Coach Burton served as the head coach for Highland Springs High School in Richmond, Virginia for nine seasons (1999-2007).  During his tenure, Burton led the Springers of Highland Springs to an impressive 72-26 record.  After posting two consecutive 5-5 seasons, the Springers found their stride under Burton’s leadership and made the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons.  Highland Springs became a powerhouse and was known throughout Virginia for its aggressive style of play on offense, defense, and special teams.  Offensively, Burton’s Springers averaged over 35 points in 5 of his 9 seasons, including a 43 point average in 2007.  On the defensive side, Highland Springs was a swarming, hard-hitting, and opportunistic defense that created turnovers and played with a tenacious attitude.

While at Highland Springs, Burton became known not only for helping to rebuild the success of the program on the field, but for developing young men away from the playing field as well.  Through community service, a strong character education program, and an academic success program, young men learned they were a part of something greater than themselves.  They learned to invest in one another, to trust one another, and to set standards for themselves that were higher than they had ever established before.  Most importantly, these young men learned to embrace the building process required to reach this level of excellence.  Coach Burton is extremely excited about bringing his program to Marietta, a community that has always supported its student-athletes and will certainly embrace his efforts to help our young men excel on the field, in the classroom, and throughout our community.

The University of Richmond is also Burton’s alma mater.  Burton was a standout defensive back for the Spiders and still ranks second among the all-time leaders in interceptions at the University of Richmond.  In addition to being a standout athlete, Coach Burton was also an exceptional student while in college.  He graduated with a GPA of 3.2 while double majoring in both sociology and criminal justice.  Following graduation, Burton attended the University of Georgia where he earned a Masters of Education in Social Science Education.  Once again, Burton excelled in the classroom, graduating with a GPA of 3.7. 

Coach Burton met his wife Meg while they were both students at the University of Richmond.  They’ve been married 13 years and have three wonderful boys, Zeb (age 12), Ty (turns 10 in November), and Keegan (age 7).  The entire Burton family is very excited for their second year in the Marietta community.

Coach Burton’s Career Highlights:

• 2010 – Replaced legendary coach James “Friday” Richards as the Head Coach of the Marietta Blue Devils.
• 2008-2009 Assistant Coach at the University of Richmond.  Helped lead the Spiders to a National Championship in 2008 and a Conference Championship in 2009.
• Career Head Coaching record at Highland Springs High School (HSHS) = 72-26. 
• Directed HSHS to the playoffs for seven consecutive years (2001-2007).
• Led HSHS to the Regional Championship in 2001 and 2006.
• Won the Capital District Championship in 2005 and 2007.
• Named Capital District Coach of the Year four times over a seven year span (2001, 2002, 2005, and 2007).
• Directed HSHS to an undefeated regular season in 2007, the first in nearly two decades.
• Helped nearly thirty players receive football scholarships in his last seven seasons, mostly to Division I schools.
• Served as Defensive Coordinator for the East Coaching Staff of the 2007 US Army All-American Bowl. 
• Highland Springs is one of only eight schools in the United States to have a player selected in two consecutive years (2005 and 2006) to participate in the US Army All-American Bowl.
• Coached at least one All-State player for seven consecutive years.
• Coached two Parade All-Americans (Victor Harris in 2004 and Jarrell Miller in 2005).
• Directed HSHS to the three most productive offensive seasons in school history (2003, 2004, and 2007).