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Ryan Burkey is New Lions Head Coach
Burkey is Lions' new boys coach
Originally published April 25, 2009
By Bill Cauley
Frederick News-Post Staff
Ryan Burkey thought it was time in his young coaching career to take the next step and seek a varsity boys basketball coaching job.
That step took him to Walkersville, where Burkey was named the Lions' new head boys hoops coach.
Burkey, who played high basketball at Linganore and served as an assistant coach at Bishop Walsh, Urbana and Hood College, was offered the Walkersville job Friday and accepted it moments later. He takes over for Bruce Zimmerman, who resigned after coaching the Lions boys for seven years.
"It's a great community," Burkey said of his new coaching home. "The people there are very supportive of their student-athletes."
Burkey, a physical education teacher at Windsor Knolls Middle School, got into coaching while he was in college at Frostburg. He played football for the Bobcats, but his interest turned to basketball and he became an assistant at Bishop Walsh High School in Cumberland while in college.
Burkey returned to the county after graduation and landed his teaching position at Windsor Knolls.
He had two coaching stints at Urbana. Burkey spent two years as junior varsity coach and assistant varsity coach under Terry Connolly.
When Connolly became an assistant men's basketball coach at Hood College under Tom Dickman, Burkey followed as an assistant and was there for two years. When Connolly left Hood after two years, so did Burkey and he decided to take a year off coaching.
Connolly came back to Urbana as boys basketball coach three years ago and Burkey rejoined him as an assistant. He said he had been thinking about getting into varsity coaching and when the Walkersville spot came open, he applied and interviewed.
"I'm looking forward to the opportunity to work with the Walkersville community and continue its successful traditions in sports," Burkey said.
He said he wants to have a meeting next week with returning and new players.
"I want to set that up as soon as possible," Burkey said. "I want to get started as soon as I can."
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