Bryant's Chris Burns becomes 1st openly gay coach in men's D-1 basketball
Chris Burns, an assistant coach and former player at Bryant, became the first openly gay coach in men's Division I basketball, coming out in an article he wrote Wednesday for Outsports.
In his piece, Burns wrote that a trip to the Nike LGBT Sports Summit last year helped him make the decision to come out, realizing that he was not alone as a gay person in sports.
To see that support group of people, who have all been working for so many years in sports, was incredibly powerful and inspiring. Being able to learn and talk with members from all parts of the LGBT community sank in just how important being able to tell my story would be, and how there is a responsibility that comes along with meeting these people and being in the positions that we are in the athletic world.
First Burns came out to his family, and then told Bryant head coach Tim O'Shea, though he waited before telling the team and ultimately coming out to the public at large.
More than a year passed between telling O'Shea, and informing other members of the coaching staff and the players on the team, but it didn't take long for the players to show their acceptance.
“There was an initial shock factor,” senior forward Curtis Oakley told USA TODAY Sports. “But everyone was, like, ‘Yo, Burns, we rockin’ with you.’ It was all love.”
By informing the team he was gay, Burns also seems to have increased the amount of trust he has with his players.
“We’re all like, ‘Yo, what else can he keep from us if tells us this?’ ” Oakley said. “You feel like you can go to him for anything.”
The support hasn't just come from Burns' team, as Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski offered encouragement, believing the steps taken by Burns will have a large impact on the sport that will spread to others in similar circumstances.
“One act of courage produces another,” Krzyzewski told USA TODAY Sports. “When I think of this, I think of tossing a big stone into a lake or a pond. The ripples he’s creating are huge. To me, it’s a huge step in the right direction for our sport because it can allow others who don’t feel like they can be who they are to do the same.”
For his part, Burns is aware that his decision has the potential to impact others like him, and he's been overwhelmed by the reaction he's received while telling people leading up to the announcement.
There is no greater feeling than being a part of something bigger than just you. That's what has always made sports so special for me.
Since I started telling people in college basketball over the last few months, I've realized my fears were far worse than reality. I've realized that people, for the most part, are human beings first. For a guy who's relatively cynical and can be negative, the reactions of people in my sport and in my life have shut me right up and re-energized my hope in the human spirit, in empathy.