Bill Burke Named Scranton Women's Cross Country Coach

SCRANTON, Pa. - Toby Lovecchio, director of athletics at The University of Scranton, has announced that Bill Burke will take over as head coach of the Royals' women's cross-country program effective immediately.

Burke, who will also remain as head coach of the Royals' men's cross-country program, replaces Daphne Hoyt, who resigned recently after serving as head coach of the women's team for the past two seasons.

Burke, a 1985 graduate of the university with a Bachelor of Science degree in education, returned to his alma mater in 2005 after a highly successful career at nearby Scranton Preparatory School. He served as head boys' track and field coach there from 1990-2005 and as boys' and girls' cross-country coach from 1989-2004.

He led the Cavaliers to four Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Class AA state cross-country championships (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004) and 12 PIAA District II titles. He also produced three state champions in track and field and cross-country and 17 state medalists. In the summer of 2005, he was named one of the top-25 coaches of all-time in Northeastern Pennsylvania by the Scranton Times-Tribune.

Burke was a four-year letterman on the Royals' men's cross-country team from 1982 through 1985, where he became the first runner in Scranton history to qualify for the 1984 NCAA Division III championships and finished 89th overall. A two-time all-NCAA regional selection (1984, 1985), he also placed third in the Middle Atlantic Conference championships twice, in 1982 and 1984. On January 31, 1998, he was inducted into the university's prestigious Wall of Fame, which annually honors outstanding student-athletes, coaches, administrators and others who have been an integral part of the rich history of Scranton athletics.

In his first season as head coach of the Royals' men's cross-country team, Burke led Scranton to a 9th-place finish in the 41-team field at the NCAA Mid-East Regional, the team's highest finish since 1999. He also escorted three-time academic all-American John Mercuri, whom he coached at Scranton Preparatory, to the 2005 NCAA Division III championships.

Bill, who holds a Master of Arts degree in American history from the University of Notre Dame and is a faculty member at Scranton Preparatory School, resides in Scranton with his wife, Maripat, and their four children: Bill, Jack, Peter and Maeve.