Former Washington State football student-athlete Greg Burns returns to his alma mater as part of Head Coach Kriby Moore’s first staff, serving as secondary/safeties coach. Bruns was a defensive back for the Cougars in the early 1990’s under then-Head Coach Mike Price.
Burns arrives back in Pullman having spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons as the cornerbacks coach at San José State. In his first season at SJSU, the defense had 28 takeaways, the most in the Mountain West Conference and fifth in the country, with 21 being from interceptions, which were second most in the country. Burns' cornerbacks had eight interceptions and two touchdowns. He also helped cornerback DJ Harvey make Second Team All-Mountain West for the first time in his career.
From 2021-23, Burns served as a defensive analyst on the UCLA staff. Burns has been a defensive backs coach for nearly three decades, including recent duties on staff at not only UCLA, but Oregon State in 2018, USC in 2019 and in 2020 at Arizona.
Prior to that, Burns spent three seasons (2014-16) at California. He was at Massachusetts in 2013 and also served that season as a co-defensive coordinator in the Senior Bowl. He spent the 2012 campaign at Purdue, which played in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.
Burns was at Arizona State for four seasons (2008-11) during which time the Sun Devils led the Pac-10 in pass defense in 2009. ASU played in the 2011 Las Vegas Bowl. Before that, he spent the 2007 season at Kansas State.
In 2006, Burns worked in the NFL, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he coached Pro Bowl selection Ronde Barber.
Burns spent four years at USC during his first stint (2002-05) with the Trojans. USC finished atop the Pac-10 each season, went to a couple of Rose Bowls and two Orange Bowls while capturing national titles in 2003 and 2004. Troy Polamalu and Darnell Bing were first-team All-America selections and NFL draft picks. while Will Poole was a first-team All-Pac-10 pick. USC was ranked ninth nationally in pass efficiency defense in 2004. In all, he coached 10 future NFL players in his first stint at USC --- Polamalu, Bing, Poole, Terrell Thomas, Eric Wright, Kevin Thomas, Cary Harris, Kevin Ellison, John Walker and William Buchanon.
Burns handled the cornerbacks at Louisville from 1998-2001. The Cardinals were ranked 18th nationally in pass efficiency defense and totaled 20 interceptions in 2001 (the team went 11-2 and won the Liberty Bowl). In 2000, Louisville led the nation in interceptions (27) and was 20th in pass efficiency defense. Anthony Floyd (2000-01) and Antonio Roundtree (1998) earned first-team All-Conference USA honors. Louisville also played in the 1998 Motor City Bowl, the 1999 Humanitarian Bowl and the 2000 Liberty Bowl.
In 1997, Burns served as the cornerbacks coach at the University of Idaho, as the Vandals intercepted 13 passes. In 1996, he was an academic counselor at Washington State.
Burns was a four-year letterman (1991-93, 1995) and two-year starter as a defensive back at Washington State, earning All-Pac-10 honorable mention honors in 1992 when the Cougars won the Copper Bowl. He had nine career interceptions, with five coming in 1992 (including two against USC). He missed the 1994 season and part of the 1995 season due to injury.
Greg Burns Coaching History
2026-Present: Washington State – Secondary/Safeties
2024-25: San José State – Cornerbacks
2021-23: UCLA – Defensive Analyst
2020: Arizona – Cornerbacks
2019: USC – Defensive Backs
2018: Oregon State – Defensive Backs
2014-17: California – Defensive Backs
2013: Massachusetts – Defensive Backs
2012: Purdue – Defensive Backs
2008-11: Arizona State – Defensive Backs
2007: Kansas State – Defensive Backs
2006: Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Defensive Backs
2002-05: USC – Defensive Backs
1998-2001: Louisville – Defensive Backs
1997: Idaho – Defensive Backs
1996: Washington State – Graduate Assistant
