Former NLU Hoops Standout & Longtime High School Coach Jesse Burnette Passes Away at Age 70

Men's Basketball Aug 13

MONROE, La. – Jesse Burnette, a four-year letterman and two-year starter for legendary Northeast Louisiana head basketball coach Lenny Fant who later spent 45 years in the coaching profession including 38 at area high schools, passed away on Saturday, Aug. 13 at the age of 70. Burnette became just the third Black player to wear the NLU basketball uniform, following center Henry Steele (1968-72) and guard Andrew Harris (1968-72).

A Rayville, Louisiana, native, Burnette came to NLU after earning all-state honors while playing for Coach Melvin Rodgers at Britton High School. He closed out his prep career by playing in an All-American Game in New York City.

A 6-foot-5 post player, Burnette had a breakout junior season for the Indians in 1971-72, leading the team in field-goal percentage (.516) and rebounding (11.9 rpg.) while ranking third in scoring at 15.0 points per game. Burnette reached double figures in scoring in 18 games, including the last 13 in a row. He also led the team in rebounding 11 times, collecting a career-best 19 boards against Northwestern State.

As a senior co-captain in 1972-73, Burnette ranked as NLU's second-leading scorer (16.4 ppg.) and rebounder (8.2 rpg.). He posted double figures in 17 games, including three 30-point efforts. Burnette eclipsed the 30-point milestone for the first time against North Texas, finishing with 32. He later posted back-to-back 30-point games against Corpus Christi (career-high 37 points) and Northwestern State (31). Burnette netted a school-record 35 second-half points against Corpus Christi.

As a collegiate player, Burnette averaged 9.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while helping NLU to four consecutive winning seasons from 1969-73, finishing with a combined record of 64-35 (.646) including NAIA District playoff appearances in 1970 and '71. His NLU career totals included 810 points and 570 rebounds.

In 1973-74, he served as a student assistant coach for Fant while completing his bachelor's degree in health and physical education.

Burnette accepted his first head coaching position at Delta High School in Bastrop where he led the Mustangs to a pair of Class 2A runner-up finishes (1980, 1982) in eight seasons from 1974-82.

He returned to the NLU campus to serve as an assistant coach under Mike Vining for six seasons from 1982-89, including two postseason tournament appearances: 1986 NCAA Tournament and 1988 National Invitation Tournament.

"I had followed his playing career, and when I became head coach at NLU, Jesse Burnette was the second assistant coach I hired," Vining said. "He was a great help to me as an assistant coach, and I greatly appreciated his loyalty.

"Jesse left his alma mater because he wanted to coach his own players again, and he went on to experience great success at every stop along the way, from West Ouachita to Delta to Carroll to Sterlington. He knew basketball and he liked people. Jesse had an interest in the kids, not just in basketball but their personal lives, and they cared about him because of what he gave to them. He won multiple state championships. I'm thankful we stayed in close contact.

"Jesse remained a great ambassador for NLU and became a great ambassador for the game of basketball for this area."

ULM men's head basketball coach Keith Richard and Burnette spent two years together working on Vining's coach staff from 1984-86.

"It's certainly very sad news to hear of the passing of Jesse Burnette," Richard said. "I can assure you there are many former ULM basketball players that are saddened today as well.

"Jesse will be remembered as one of the all-time coaching legends in our area. His ability to communicate with his players stuck with me as a young, graduate assistant coach. Success followed him everywhere, and he definitely was a positive influence in our basketball world for a long time."

Burnette left Vining's NLU coaching staff to start the boys basketball program at West Ouachita where he served from 1989-93. He returned to Delta High School in 1993 and led the Mustangs to the 1995 Class 2A Championship.

Burnette began his first stint at Carroll High School in Monroe in 1997 and his arrival resulted in immediate success, as the Bulldogs won five consecutive district titles from 1998-2002 and claimed the 2002 Class 3A Championship – the program's first state crown since 1982.

Following six seasons at Carroll, he took over the Sterlington High School program for four seasons from 2003-07.

Burnette announcement his first retirement from coaching following the 2006-07 campaign; however, he returned to the bench in time for the 2007-08 season as an assistant coach for his former NLU teammate Roger Stockton at River Oaks High School.

He started his second stint as head coach at Carroll in 2008-09, and two years later in 2011, the Bulldogs captured another state title. Carroll won its third state championship under Burnette in 2013, as the Bulldogs defeated district-rival Union Parish in front of a capacity crowd at ULM's Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

Burnette officially retired from coaching following the 2018-19 season. In two separate stints, spanning 16 seasons (1997-2003 and 2009-19), his Bulldog teams won three state championships and six district titles while making five appearances in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association state tournament.

On Nov. 9, 2021, the Monroe City School Board named the Carroll High School gymnasium floor in honor of Coach Burnette. The motion carried on a unanimous vote.

His final coaching resume included four state titles and numerous district crowns.

Upon his retirement from Carroll, Burnette told The News-Star sports writer Adam Hunsucker, "I enjoyed all the places I've been, but it was really special to get the opportunity to come back to Delta and Carroll twice. You never know what to expect when you go back, and both places welcomed me with open arms.

"Coaching is teaching and getting the kids ready to play for a big ball game is what I enjoyed the most," Burnette continued. "You can't do all that we did without help, and I was blessed to have some talented kids and some good people to help me coach them."

Jesse Burnette's Coaching History

Head coach, Delta High School: 1974-82
Two Class 2A runner-up finishes (1980, 1982)

Assistant coach, Louisiana-Monroe: 1982-89
One NCAA Tournament appearance (1986)
One NIT appearance (1988)

Head coach, West Ouachita High School: 1989-93

Head coach, Delta High School: 1993-97
One Class 2A state championship (1995)

Head coach, Carroll High School: 1997-2003
One Class 3A state championship (2002)
Five district championships (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002)

Head coach, Sterlington High School: 2003-07

Assistant coach, River Oaks School: 2008

Head coach, Carroll High School: 2008-2019
Two Class 3A state championships (2011, 2013)
One Class 3A runner-up finish (2010)
Four LHSAA state tournament appearances
One district championship (2010)

Jesse Burnette _Carroll High School basketball coach

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Former NLU Hoops Standout & Longtime High School Coach Jesse Burnette Passes Away at Age 70