Nov. 9, 2011 – Mike Burns named New England Revolution GM

Mike Burns grew up in Marlborough and joined Alexi Lalas as the New England Revolution’s first assigned players when MLS began in 1996. Burns played right back for the U.S. national team (1992-98) and the Revolution (1996-2000), San Jose Earthquakes (2000) and Kansas City Wizards (2001-02).

Burns, named the Revolution’s director of soccer in 2005, became the team’s fourth GM, succeeding Craig Tornberg (the first GMs were Brian O’Donovan and Todd Smith). After a five-win season in 2011, Steve Nicol had been dismissed as coach and Sunil Gulati named an advisor for Kraft Soccer, Brian Bilello promoted to team president.

Two days later, another former Revolution right back, Jay Heaps, was named the team’s sixth head coach. Though Heaps had no head coaching experience, he turned out to be an inspired choice, as the Revolution returned to the MLS Cup in 2014, their fifth appearance in the final and first since 2007. But the Burns-Heaps combination faltered as the Revolution’s formula for overachieving hit a dead end. The departure of A.J. Soares left a hole in central defense and Jermaine Jones struggled with a contract dispute and injuries as the team regressed. This season, the Revolution added three Europe-based central defenders, but surrendered an Eastern Conference high 61 goals in failing to qualify for the playoffs in successive seasons for the first time since 2011. Burns signed French defender Claude Dielna and Hungarian forward Krisztian Nemeth late in the season, too late for the Revolution to recover. Exactly six years later, Burns’ former U.S. teammate Brad Friedel, was announced as Revolution head coach. Photo: Burns and Brazil’s Tulio Maravilha in a 1995 Copa America match in Maldonado, Uruguay.

TODAY IN NEW ENGLAND SOCCER HISTORY