Mike Burns will remain as Revs GM and help choose next coach

The New England Revolution are looking for a new head coach and General Manager Mike Burns will be part of the search committee.

After accumulating a record of 12-21-13 in 18 months as the Revs head coach, Brad Friedel was relieved of his duties. Some fans, as well as members of the national media, pushed for more changes within the organization. One common request was the departure of Burns.

Those who want Burns to be ousted like to point out that the Revs are in danger of missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. Another common complaint is that Burns was part of the team that hired Friedel, a rookie coach that showed little promise during his brief tenure.

When Burns addressed the media on Friday, he stated that he should be judged for his total body of work, as opposed to the last few years.

“I look at my tenure over the 15 years that I’ve worked in the front office,” Burns said. “We’ve had a lot of positive moments and we’ve certainly had some downturns as well. I look at it as a 15-year time here, not necessarily one, two, or three years.”

Among those who were hoping for a new General Manager were the members of the Midnight Riders. In an official statement, the supporters group said, “We would like to thank Mike Burns for representing our region as an original Revolution player, but we believe that someone else should be in charge of hiring the coaching staff and building the roster.”

Burns declined to comment on the statement despite being asked directly about it. The General Manager instead noted that he has a job that receives a lot of attention.

“I think I have a job as the General Manager that is second-guessed,” Burns noted. “Obviously, there are a lot people in the media and fans that have opinions, both positive and negative. To comment on any comments that are made, I think, isn’t appropriate for me. For my tenure at this club, and anything I’ve ever done, I’ve given everything I’ve had and will continue to do so.”

Burns will remain as the Revolution’s General Manager. As such, he will play a key role in hiring the club’s next manager. This is something that the organization wants to do quickly and correctly.

“The timeline is soon as possible without obviously rushing anything,” Burns said. “Ownership will be involved, Brian (Bilello) will be involved, and I will be involved.”