Derrick Burroughs

Hired in 2010 as Head Football Coach, Burroughs took over the Lane College football program that had finished 0-10 the previous year. In his first season, the Dragons finished 4-6 with the No. 1 pass defense in the conference and a record 40 forced turnovers. In 2012, the Dragons finished 5-5. The 2013 seasons saw the Dragons produce their first winning season in years, finishing the year with a 7-3 record.

Following the 2013 campaign, Coach Burroughs took the position of Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator at Jackson State University. Under Coach Burroughs’ command, the Tigers finished third in the SWAC in total defense.

In 2015, Coach Burroughs returned to Lane College as the Head Football Coach and Athletic Director. Under Burroughs leadership, the program saw 33 victories, which is most by any Lane coach in the NCAA era.

Following the 2019 season, Burroughs stepped down as Head Football Coach to focus solely on his role as Director of Athletics.

Burroughs established his football accolades as a defensive back from 1980–1985 at the University of Memphis. He was First Team All-Conference, voted Defensive Player of the Year, was selected to the 1985 Blue-Gray All-Star team where he was voted the game’s defensive MVP and went on to be selected to the Senior Bowl. Burroughs graduated from Memphis receiving a degree in Criminal Justice/ Criminology. Immediately following, he continued his football career as the 14th overall player taken in the 1st round by the Buffalo Bills in the 1985 NFL draft.

Burroughs was forced to retired from professional football following a serious neck injury but vowed to remain dedicated to the sport as mentor and coach. His 27 years of coaching experience includes time with the National Football League (NFL) and NFL Europe. He spent time in arena football, Xtreme Football League (XFL) and the United States Football League (USFL).

After a five-year participation in the NFL minority internship-coaching program that saw time spent with the Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, and Indianapolis Colts, Burroughs returned to the collegiate level with stops at Alabama State University, Clark Atlanta, Stillman College and Knoxville College.

His passion for administration led him to dual roles in a number of his previous stops including: Director of Football Operations and Cornerback Coach in both the USFL and XFL.

A native of Mobile, Alabama, Burroughs states: “as a winner, I believe that success in life is obtainable through hard work and lessons learned from overcoming challenges and adversities.” It is with that belief and his strong work ethic that he commits to taking Lane College to its next chapter of realizing the success of a stellar athletic program. He believes the primary focus of Lane’s success hinges on its ability to recruit quality talent and the demonstrated academic excellence of every athlete.

Burroughs’ civic dedication is as impressive as his football career and love for coaching. He is the founder, President and CEO of Icon Sports, a nationally recognized non-profit organization. The mission of Icon Sports & Enrichment Center Inc. is dedicated to addressing the economic as well as the educational and social needs of youth and underprivileged children and their families. The focus of Icon Sports & Enrichment Center Inc. is to promote community-based outreach programs; youth sports enrichment programs, and social awareness issues that directly affect our community. It is our desire to encourage children and their families to learn and return, fertilize and nurture, revitalize and restore their communities.

For the past 18 years, Icon Sports has been planning and organizing sporting events for some of the top professional athletes in Major League Baseball the National Basketball League and the NFL. Burroughs has positioned the organization to ensure that all events are fundraising events that support local charities and or provide opportunities for disenfranchised youth. He ensures all events have a celebrity quality to ensure success and has engaged persons and coordinated events such as the Bruce Smith Super bowl Celebrity Gala; Penny Hardaway USA Olympic Basketball Celebration; and Lane Colleges signature athletic fundraiser, Dinner with the Pro’s.