ABOUT
My story
How it all started
Courtney Burns enters her third season as the Head Coach of the Post University Women’s Basketball program (NCAA Division II) in 2025-2026. In just two season at Post University Burns has recruited and developed two CACC All-Conference selections, and earned a CACC Regular Season Conference Championship.
Before joining Post University, Burns spent six years as the Head Coach of the Women's Basketball program at Mitchell College, where she led the Mariners to back-to-back New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Tournament Championships, the first two in school history, while also qualifying for the Division III NCAA Tournament. During the 2022-23 season, the Mariners went undefeated in conference play, going 8-0.
Burns was twice named the NECC Coach of the Year in 2022-2023 and 2018-19 and owns the most wins in program history with 76, including a 46-16 record in conference. She has also coached 12 All-Conference players, three NECC Rookies of the Year, two Defensive Player of the Year winners, and one Player of the Year to go along with two 1,000-point scorers.
Burns had three players take home major awards in 2022, as the program produced the NECC's Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Co-Rookie of the Year. Senior forward Amina Wiley became the program's first three-time all-conference first team selection, and she also garnered all-region recognition from both D3hoops.com and the New England Women's Basketball Association.
In 2020, Mitchell finished with a 16-11 record in that included the most non-conference victories (5) since the program joined the NCAA Division III ranks. The Mariners won double-digit conference games for the third straight year under Burns and advanced to the NECC Championship semifinals.
In 2019 the program recorded the most wins (17) in a season in the program's Division III era. The Mariners finished with a 15-3 record in league play and tied for first in the regular season standings, advancing to the semifinals of the conference tournament before bowing out. The program produced the NECC Rookie of the Year as well as three all-conference honorees, and for her efforts Burns was tabbed NECC Coach of the Year.
A native of Rockland, Mass., Burns has coaching experience at both the NCAA Division II and III levels. Prior to joining the Mariners she served as an assistant coach at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, N.H. She also spent time as an assistant at both Southern Connecticut State University and Johnson & Wales University.
Burns was named to the SNHU women's basketball staff in the summer of 2015. For two seasons she assisted in all facets of the program, serving as offensive coordinator and focusing on guard development. As offensive coordinator she was charged with implementing the Read and React Offense. She was also responsible for recruiting, opponent scouting, and film breakdown and exchange.
Prior to SNHU, Burns served a season as an assistant coach at Southern Connecticut in 2014-15. At the time she was the youngest assistant in the Northeast-10 Conference. During her time there she helped lead the Owls to the fifth-best league record despite being selected last (15th) in the preseason polls. In 2013-2014 she spent the season as an assistant coach at Johnson & Wales University, working with guards and post players and helping the Wildcats to their first postseason win since 2009.
Burns joined the coaching ranks after a four-year playing career at Rhode Island College. A captain in her final two seasons, she played in 103 career games and averaged 8.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest. During her four years the Anchorwomen won 77 games and enjoyed a pair of 20-win seasons, including a 2011-12 campaign (25-4 overall) in which the program won its first-ever Little East Conference title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Following college, Burns continued her playing career with a stint with the Brockton Lady Thunder Semi-Professional team. She also represented the United States in a four-game tour of Italy with American International Sports.
In addition to coaching, Burns has a background in strength and conditioning. She serves as the strength and conditioning coach for multiple Mitchell programs, creating and overseeing work outs in the on-campus fitness center.
Burns graduated from Rhode Island College in 2014 with a degree in mathematics with a minor in coaching. In 2018 she received a Master’s Degree from Southern New Hampshire in Sports Management.
Before joining Post University, Burns spent six years as the Head Coach of the Women's Basketball program at Mitchell College, where she led the Mariners to back-to-back New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Tournament Championships, the first two in school history, while also qualifying for the Division III NCAA Tournament. During the 2022-23 season, the Mariners went undefeated in conference play, going 8-0.
Burns was twice named the NECC Coach of the Year in 2022-2023 and 2018-19 and owns the most wins in program history with 76, including a 46-16 record in conference. She has also coached 12 All-Conference players, three NECC Rookies of the Year, two Defensive Player of the Year winners, and one Player of the Year to go along with two 1,000-point scorers.
Burns had three players take home major awards in 2022, as the program produced the NECC's Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Co-Rookie of the Year. Senior forward Amina Wiley became the program's first three-time all-conference first team selection, and she also garnered all-region recognition from both D3hoops.com and the New England Women's Basketball Association.
In 2020, Mitchell finished with a 16-11 record in that included the most non-conference victories (5) since the program joined the NCAA Division III ranks. The Mariners won double-digit conference games for the third straight year under Burns and advanced to the NECC Championship semifinals.
In 2019 the program recorded the most wins (17) in a season in the program's Division III era. The Mariners finished with a 15-3 record in league play and tied for first in the regular season standings, advancing to the semifinals of the conference tournament before bowing out. The program produced the NECC Rookie of the Year as well as three all-conference honorees, and for her efforts Burns was tabbed NECC Coach of the Year.
A native of Rockland, Mass., Burns has coaching experience at both the NCAA Division II and III levels. Prior to joining the Mariners she served as an assistant coach at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, N.H. She also spent time as an assistant at both Southern Connecticut State University and Johnson & Wales University.
Burns was named to the SNHU women's basketball staff in the summer of 2015. For two seasons she assisted in all facets of the program, serving as offensive coordinator and focusing on guard development. As offensive coordinator she was charged with implementing the Read and React Offense. She was also responsible for recruiting, opponent scouting, and film breakdown and exchange.
Prior to SNHU, Burns served a season as an assistant coach at Southern Connecticut in 2014-15. At the time she was the youngest assistant in the Northeast-10 Conference. During her time there she helped lead the Owls to the fifth-best league record despite being selected last (15th) in the preseason polls. In 2013-2014 she spent the season as an assistant coach at Johnson & Wales University, working with guards and post players and helping the Wildcats to their first postseason win since 2009.
Burns joined the coaching ranks after a four-year playing career at Rhode Island College. A captain in her final two seasons, she played in 103 career games and averaged 8.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest. During her four years the Anchorwomen won 77 games and enjoyed a pair of 20-win seasons, including a 2011-12 campaign (25-4 overall) in which the program won its first-ever Little East Conference title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Following college, Burns continued her playing career with a stint with the Brockton Lady Thunder Semi-Professional team. She also represented the United States in a four-game tour of Italy with American International Sports.
In addition to coaching, Burns has a background in strength and conditioning. She serves as the strength and conditioning coach for multiple Mitchell programs, creating and overseeing work outs in the on-campus fitness center.
Burns graduated from Rhode Island College in 2014 with a degree in mathematics with a minor in coaching. In 2018 she received a Master’s Degree from Southern New Hampshire in Sports Management.