Eastern Michigan Athletics
Football
Sep 20 (Sat)
3:30 p.m.
- Title:
- Assistant Coach/Tight Ends/Special Teams
- Email:
- tburpee@emich.edu
- Phone:
- 734.487.2160
Tom Burpee is entering his fifth season as the tight ends coach at EMU. In addition to tight ends, Burpee had spent the previous four seasons as the special teams coach. Burpee came to Ypsilanti after spending the 2008 campaign as a graduate assistant football coach at the University of Louisville.
Under Burpree’s guidance, Garrett Hoskins was a 2012 All-Mid-American Conference Second Team selection, leading the team in catches with 38 receptions for 542 yards and three touchdowns. He was also named the John Mackey Tight End of the Week, Oct. 24, after recording seven receptions for 158 yards and a touchdown in a 48-38 victory over Army, Oct. 20.
Hoskins was named 2011 All-MAC Third Team after ranking second on the team in catches with 22 receptions for 328 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, punter Jay Karutz was named a candidate for the Ray Guy Award, bestowed upon the nation’s best punter.
In 2010, Ben Thayer was named the team’s MVP after leading all Mid-American Conference tight ends with 30 catches for 386 yards and three touchdowns. Thayer was also named the John Mackey National Tight End of the Week following his performance against Ball State. Hoskins led the team and all MAC tight ends with a 27.0-yards per catch average. Burpee’s special teams unit also found success with the punt team finishing second in the league in return yards against and third in net punting average. Kickoff returner Corey Welch was fifth in the MAC with 688 return yards and a 20.88-yard average.
The 30-year-old Burpee graduated with a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Michigan in 2005.
While at Michigan, Burpee served the football team as a student manager in 2002, then as an undergraduate assistant coach from 2003-04, a volunteer assistant in 2005-06, and finally as a defensive quality control coach in 2007.
Burpee has been involved with six post-season Bowl games as a member of the University of Michigan staff. He was a football team manager for the Wolverines at the 2003 Outback Bowl, was a student assistant coach at the 2004 and 2005 Rose Bowls, a volunteer assistant coach at the 2006 Alamo Bowl and the 2007 Rose Bowl and served as the defensive quality control coach for the 2008 Capital One Bowl.
A native of Grand Rapids, Mich., Burpee and his wife Ashley (Heard) have two children, Natalie (4) and Nathan (2). and his wife Ashley (Heard) have two children, Natalie (3) and Nathan (1).
The Tom Burpee File
Name: Tom Burpee
High School: East Grand Rapids H.S.
College: University of Michigan - Bachelor’s of Science degree in engineering - 2005
Family: Wife-Ashley (Heard); Daughter: Natalie (3) Son: Nathan (1)
Coaching Experience
Year School Position Record-Highlights
2012 Eastern Michigan University Asst. Coach-Tight ends-Special Teams
2011 Eastern Michigan University Asst. Coach-Tight ends-Special Teams
2010 Eastern Michigan University Asst. Coach-Tight ends-Special Teams
2009 Eastern Michigan University Asst. Coach-Tight ends-Special Teams
2008 University of Louisville Graduate Asst. Coach-Defense
2007 University of Michigan Asst. Coach-Def. Quality Control Capital One Bowl-Jan. 2008
2006 University of Michigan Volunteer-Asst. Coach-Offense Rose Bowl-Jan. 2007
2005 University of Michigan Volunteer-Asst. Coach-Offense Alamo Bowl-Jan. 2006
2004 University of Michigan Student Asst. Coach-QBs Rose Bowl-Big Ten Champs
2003 University of Michigan Student Asst. Coach-QBs Rose Bowl-Big Ten Champs
2002 University of Michigan Football team student manager Outback Bowl
