Mike Burket is in his 24th season as an assistant football coach at Shippensburg University in 2025. Burket enters his 21st season as the team’s defensive coordinator and his 23rd as the primary instructor to the linebackers.
Including his coaching positions prior to Shippensburg, Burket enters his 36th year as a football coach in 2025. Burket also plays an important role in organizing and arranging community engagement activities for the SU football team in addition to being responsible for the team’s travel arrangements.
Burket is well versed in the art of defense. SU has had at least one all-conference linebacker in all but one of his seasons as the team’s linebackers coach – totaling 25 All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) designations by a total of 17 different players. Overall, the defense has boasted 62 All-PSAC selections in Burket’s time as the defensive coordinator.
In 2023, the Raiders boasted the PSAC's No. 1 defense in terms of yardage allowed and held the opposition to 10 points or less on four separate occasions.
From 2010-2022, Shippensburg has ranked second in the PSAC in sacks per game (2.69) and second in turnover margin (+46) while slotting fourth in takeaways (124).
In 2022, Burket oversaw the emergence of linebacker Matt Feeney. Feeney, an All-PSAC Second Team and CCA Super Region 1 Second Team selection, registered 20.5 tackles for loss on the season – a mark that ranked sixth best in NCAA Division II and tied for first in the PSAC. He also set a new program record with 6.5 tackles for loss in a single contest.
Coach Burket, with wife Angela (August 2021)
In 2021, SU led the conference in third-down defense while ranking second in fewest touchdowns allowed and fourth-down defense and ranking third in rushing defense and total defense. The unit included All-Conference performers Trey Paul (first team safety) and Jacoby Sherard (second team defensive tackle).
The 2018 defense led the PSAC and ranked seventh in the nation with four defensive touchdowns. The unit also averaged 3.55 sacks per game, which also ranked seventh in the nation. All-PSAC First Team lineman Dakota Thompson led the conference in sacks (11.5) and ranked third in TFLs (17.0).
In 2017, Shippensburg posted the top red-zone defense in NCAA Division II (.556) and led the PSAC in numerous statistical categories, including turnover margin (1.33; 2nd in D2), scoring defense (13.0; 3rd in D2), team pass efficiency defense (89.55; 3rd in D2), total defense (268.8; 4th in D2) and defensive touchdowns (5; 8th in D2). Burket also instructed a defense that set a school record with 103 tackles-for-loss (TFLs), as 10 different players recorded at least 5.0 TFLs for the season. The team allowed just 156 points for the season – its fewest yielded in 14 years.
The 2016 season featured a defense that finished the year allowing just 187 points (17.0 points per game). The unit was highlighted by senior linebacker Allen Holman – the 2016 PSAC Eastern Division Defensive Player of the Year. Holman is just the second Raider in history to be named a PSAC Defensive Player of the Year, joining Jake Metz in 2013.
In 2015, Shippensburg ranked fourth in the PSAC for scoring defense (25.0) – its best conference mark since 2004 – and fourth in rushing defense while achieving numerous milestones. Redshirt-freshman defensive end Richard Nase set the single-season school record for sacks (12) and became the first freshman defensive lineman in the PSAC in 20 years to achieve All-Conference First Team honors.
Among the linebackers, both Cortlin Dell and Allen Holman earned First Team honors – becoming the first SU tandem at linebacker to receive First Team honors since Hall of Famers Ken Pickett and Shayne Mains in 1990.
Overall, SU led Division II in 2015 in turnover margin (+20, including 30 takeaways) – including three “pick-sixes,” and ranking fourth in school history with 37 total sacks.
The 2014 season featured defensive back Chavez Cheatham being named the PSAC Eastern Division Rookie of the Year after he finished third on the team with 68 tackles, led the team with 11 passes defensed and achieved an interception in each of the final two games of the season.
It also included an All-PSAC recognition for linebacker Brian Sourber, who led the team with 82 tackles. Sourber’s 46-game career includes 312 total tackles, while his 36.5 career tackles for loss ranks him among the Top 20 all-time in school history.
Sourber became the first SU player to earn All-PSAC honors after all four of his seasons since Brent Grimes from 2002-05, while Cheatham was SU's first Divisional Rookie of the Year since Grimes in 2002.
In 2013, the defense led the PSAC during the regular season with 36 sacks. The team also recorded 94 TFLs – the second-highest single-season total in school history. Seven starters earned All-PSAC accolades including defensive end Jake Metz, who became the first SU defensive player to ever win a PSAC Player of the Year award.
While SU’s offense garnered most of the acclaim in 2012, its defense had a memorable year in its own right – achieving six school records. Among them, Cody Fleming set the record for career tackles for loss with 52.5, breaking the mark previously held by current head coach Mark Maciejewski ’92/’96M. Metz had 11.5 sacks to set a new single-season record and broke Fleming’s tackles for loss record in 2013.
Additionally in 2012, SU’s defense ranked seventh in the country in turnover margin (1.31), recovering 18 fumbles and intercepting 20 passes. Shippensburg was third in the PSAC in total defense.
In 2011, the SU defense totaled 93 tackles for loss – at the time it was the second-most in a single season since 1979. The team finished tied for eighth in the country in red zone defense and amassed 38 sacks, the most since 1991 and the third-most overall in school history. Those 38 sacks – which tied SU for fifth in the country per game – added up to 292 yards lost by the opposing offense, which became a new school record.
In 2010, the defense finished third in the PSAC in red zone defense, fourth in third-down conversion rate and fifth in turnover margin. Burket’s instruction was evident in 2009 with a defensive unit that ranked 31st in the nation for sacks. Senior Andy Casale, the most veteran member of the linebacker corps in 2009, led Shippensburg with 65 tackles and 11 tackles for loss while achieving 2.5 sacks.
In 2008, SU achieved the sixth-best total defense in the PSAC that included the 13th-ranked pass defense in Division II. Perhaps most impressively, the ‘08 squad ranked second in the conference in forcing turnovers (27) and second in tackles for loss (7.27 per game). Overall, the unit was ranked 36th out of 148 programs in Division II.
In 2007, the defense ranked third in the PSAC in total defense and fifth in both rushing defense and pass defense. The unit also ranked seventh out of 14 teams in scoring defense and third in opponent third-down conversions. Four defensive players were named All-PSAC Western Division in 2007 after five were selected in 2006.
The 2006 season featured Shippensburg leading the conference in sacks while ranking fifth in pass defense and sixth in both rushing defense and total defense. Jaron Nalewak was selected All-PSAC Western Division First Team honor after compiling one of the best defensive seasons in school history, finishing with 23 tackles for loss, one short of the school single-season record, and 7.5 sacks.
In Burket’s first season as defensive coordinator in 2005, Shippensburg had four All-PSAC Western Division selections, including three first team honorees. As a team, Shippensburg ranked fourth in the conference in passing defense, sixth in rushing defense, sixth in total defense and sixth in turnover margin.
Burket joined the staff as an assistant coach in 2002 after two seasons as the head coach at Shippensburg Area Senior High School. In his first SU season, Burket coached the safeties before beginning his work with the linebackers.
A 1992 graduate of IUP, Burket began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Huntingdon Area High School from 1989-92. He then served as an assistant coach at Waynesboro High School from 1993-94 before returning to Huntingdon where he was the head coach from 1995-96.
Following the 1996 season, Burket moved to Juniata College where he was an assistant coach for two seasons in 1997-98. In his first season, he served as the offensive coordinator and in his second season, served as defense coordinator while also functioning as the director of football operations and recruiting coordinator.
In 1999, Burket was the athletic director for the Tyrone Area School District. He also has four years of teaching experience, two each at Waynesboro Area and Huntingdon Area Senior High School. For seven years, Burket was a member of the United States Army Reserve in Mill Creek before receiving an honorable discharge in May of 1994.
A native of Huntingdon, Burket and his wife Angela currently live in Shippensburg and are the proud parents of their daughter, Cierra.
PERSONAL
Alma Mater: IUP ’92
Family: Wife, Angela; Daughter, Cierra
Years in Coaching: 35
COACHING EXPERIENCE
Shippensburg
2005-present Assistant Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
2003-04 Assistant Coach/Linebackers
2002 Assistant Coach/Safeties
Shippensburg Area High School
2000-01 Head Coach
Juniata College
1998 Assistant Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Director of Football Ops
1997 Assistant Coach/Offensive Coordinator
Huntingdon Area High School
1995-96 Head Coach
Waynesboro Area High School
1993-94 Assistant Coach
Huntingdon Area High School
1989-92 Assistant Coach
