I was covering TU for the Oklahoman when Burns was here. He actually had a relatively good first season, all things considered. His 5-7 record in 2000 was the best record by TU since 1991.
It was interesting that after 9-11 in 2001, he won 1 game in two years. When he gave Blankenship the quick hook somewhat early in the year in favor of another Union grad, Tyler Gooch, everything fell apart. One noteworthy assistant under Burns later told me me about the toxic work environment under Burns for the assistant coaches.