Legendary baseball coach inducted to NJCAA Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame
May 29, 2018
After 1,254 wins, 18 Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division titles, eight trips to the Junior College World Series, and back-to-back World Series titles in 1997 and 1998, Cowley College head baseball coach Dave Burroughs was recognized for his accomplishments by being inducted into the NJCAA Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame during the JUCO World Series Banquet held Friday, May 25 in Grand Junction, CO.
In 31 seasons as coach of the Tigers, Burroughs is the all-time winningest coach in the history of the Jayhawk Conference and is the second-winningest active coach in the NJCAA.
"This journey has been so much fun," Burroughs said. "What we accomplished in basically starting the program from scratch has made it a fun ride."
Burroughs was previously inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.
He has been named the Jayhawk East Coach of the Year seven of the last 12 seasons.
His brother, Darren, joined the Tiger coaching staff as an assistant in 1990 and has been by his side ever since.
"He has had a hand in all of this and is just as important to this operation as anybody," Burroughs said. "I have had the opportunity to work with and work for so many great people in my 31 years at Cowley."
He was named NJCAA Coach of the Year in 1997 and 1998 after leading Cowley to back-to-back JUCO World Series titles and 107 wins during the two-year span.
"My vision when I was hired was to win a national championship. Dr. Pat (McAtee) shared that same vision and Tom (Saia) helped take it to the next level," Burroughs said.
Burroughs recently guided Cowley to a record of 45-11 during the 2018 season as the Tigers captured its second straight Jayhawk East title with a record of 32-4, while advancing to the Region VI championship game for the fourth straight season.
Cowley has won seven of the last 12 Jayhawk East titles and has won at least 33 games in each of the last 26 seasons, including a school-record tying 54 wins during the 2015 season.
"Our success is really all about the players," Burroughs said."
Burroughs takes great pride in being inducted into the Cowley College Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame, Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame, and now the NJCAA Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
"I am humbled and honored," Burroughs said. "It's a small group of coaches in the Hall of Fame. To look out there and see my family in the crowd made it special. It was an unbelievable experience."
Burroughs is not one to toot his own horn as the bare walls in his office would indicate. However, he will find a place for the plaque he received on Friday.
"This one is going to go on the wall," Burroughs said.
Burroughs summed up his experience as the baseball coach at Cowley over the past 31 years by quoting one of his favorite lines by Gus (Robert Duvall) in the movie Lonesome Dove.
"It has been quite a party."
In 31 seasons as coach of the Tigers, Burroughs is the all-time winningest coach in the history of the Jayhawk Conference and is the second-winningest active coach in the NJCAA.
"This journey has been so much fun," Burroughs said. "What we accomplished in basically starting the program from scratch has made it a fun ride."
Burroughs was previously inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.
He has been named the Jayhawk East Coach of the Year seven of the last 12 seasons.
His brother, Darren, joined the Tiger coaching staff as an assistant in 1990 and has been by his side ever since.
"He has had a hand in all of this and is just as important to this operation as anybody," Burroughs said. "I have had the opportunity to work with and work for so many great people in my 31 years at Cowley."
He was named NJCAA Coach of the Year in 1997 and 1998 after leading Cowley to back-to-back JUCO World Series titles and 107 wins during the two-year span.
"My vision when I was hired was to win a national championship. Dr. Pat (McAtee) shared that same vision and Tom (Saia) helped take it to the next level," Burroughs said.
Burroughs recently guided Cowley to a record of 45-11 during the 2018 season as the Tigers captured its second straight Jayhawk East title with a record of 32-4, while advancing to the Region VI championship game for the fourth straight season.
Cowley has won seven of the last 12 Jayhawk East titles and has won at least 33 games in each of the last 26 seasons, including a school-record tying 54 wins during the 2015 season.
"Our success is really all about the players," Burroughs said."
Burroughs takes great pride in being inducted into the Cowley College Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame, Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame, and now the NJCAA Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
"I am humbled and honored," Burroughs said. "It's a small group of coaches in the Hall of Fame. To look out there and see my family in the crowd made it special. It was an unbelievable experience."
Burroughs is not one to toot his own horn as the bare walls in his office would indicate. However, he will find a place for the plaque he received on Friday.
"This one is going to go on the wall," Burroughs said.
Burroughs summed up his experience as the baseball coach at Cowley over the past 31 years by quoting one of his favorite lines by Gus (Robert Duvall) in the movie Lonesome Dove.
"It has been quite a party."