Longtime prep coach 'Salty' Burns dies at 83

William Hall "Salty" Burns never met a sport he didn't love - or excel at.

Burns earned titles in three different sports during a long and distinguished coaching career in Tampa. Tabbed "Salty" at a young age by his family, Burns died Wednesday. He was 83.

A Tampa native who was inducted into the Florida Athletic Coaches Association's Hall of Fame, Burns got into coaching in the early 1950s, his son Jack Burns said.

After graduating from the University of Tampa in 1953, Burns began his career as a coach and teacher at Jefferson High School. Three years later, he was hired as a football assistant and head boys basketball coach at Plant. He led the Panthers to a basketball state championship in 1958.

He returned to Jefferson as the head football coach in 1960, and six years later, Burns was named Leto High's first football coach. With his son at quarterback, Burns led the Falcons to a city championship in 1967.

Burns also served as Chamberlain High's head football coach in 1969-70. It wasn't long after that he ventured into coaching softball. He helped foster the growth of the sport in the area, long before it was popular for girls to play. Coaching both slow- and fast-pitch, two of Burns' softball teams won world championships.

In his spare time, Burns, who retired from the school system in 1986, was an avid outdoorsman, with a fondness for bass fishing and quail hunting.

"He did it all," Jack Burns said. "He had a great run."

After a prolific playing career at the University of Florida, Jack Burns followed in his father's footsteps into coaching. He has served as an assistant with the Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins, among others. He has tried patterning himself after his mentor.

"He was very competitive - very competitive and very smart," Jack Burns said. "He had the ability to bring out the best of everyone."

In addition to Jack, Burns is survived by another son, Robert; his daughter, Tomi Lee; a sister, Elizabeth "Susie" Frazier; five grandchildren and a great-grandson, Robert Rhodes Burns.

A visitation will be held Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. at Hillsboro Memorial Funeral Home. A graveside service will follow at 3 p.m. at Sunset Memory Gardens.