When St. Laurence athletic director Tim Chandler began the process of hiring a new boys basketball coach, Byron Burt was one of 85 applicants.
The 25-year-old Burt was a long shot.
Just three years ago, he was a student-athlete at Loyola playing his final season for coach Porter Moser.
But after two interviews and a glowing endorsement from Moser, Burt emerged as the favorite. He has been named the successor to Jim Sexton, who resigned in March. Sexton has been named Evergreen Park’s coach.
“When we started this process, if someone would have said, ‘Byron Burt is going to be the next coach,’ I don’t know if I would have believed it,” Chandler said with a laugh. “But his passion, his personality and excitement for the position stood out.
“He was upbeat, positive, and he’s a high-character person. He has a plan and a vision for the program, and is an exceptional role model for our kids.”
In spite of his youth, Burt comes with coaching experience. For the past two seasons, he was varsity coach at his alma mater, Mather.
For Burt, the opportunity to coach at St. Laurence and in the Catholic League proved too enticing to pass up. The Vikings finished 15-17 last season, including 8-7 in the league.
“It’s one of the most respected leagues out there,” Burt said. “I really like how St. Laurence supports the athletic teams and values academics and athletics.
“They care about the growth of the community, athletes and students.”
According to Burt, the atmosphere at Mather didn’t represent those same values, which led him to look elsewhere.
He guided Mather to a 13-16 record during the 2019-20 season, including 8-1 in the Public League White-North.
“I wanted to change the culture,” he said of Mather. “I wanted kids to take basketball more seriously. But the administration had a different vision. It made it difficult for us to be competitive.
“When I first was offered the position at Mather, it was a special feeling. It’s a place that made me who I am today. I was excited to take on the challenge. Things changed.”
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Burt is excited about St. Laurence’s future. There are holes to fill, primarily from the graduation of point guard Finn Walsh and shooting guard Trey Davis.
“Because of what is going on, I haven’t been able to meet the kids face-to-face,” Burt said of coronavirus pandemic. “I know we have some really good kids coming back. I’m confident we’ll be competitive.”
Burt will be inside the building as a physical education teacher, which should help him to quickly develop those relationships.
He will also continue to lead the Chicago Hoops AAU program, which he founded.
Under Burt, the Vikings will stress defense and an up-tempo offense.
“I’m super excited,” Burt said. “I think it’s going to be great. We’re going to be a defensive-minded team. Offensively, we’ll have a lot of ball movement and take a lot of threes. We’re going to make teams adjust to us. That’s the plan.”
As far as his relative youth, Burt looks at it as a benefit.
“Kids are looking at high schools where they can relate to the coaches,” he said. “Relationships are huge. Based on my age, kids look at me as a mentor and someone they believe I can relate to.
“I believe it’s a selling point. I think it’s something that will work to our advantage.”