Football
- Title:
- Safeties
- Email:
- jburrow@buffalo.edu
- Phone:
- 716-645-3752
Jeff Burrow enters his third season on the coaching staff after originally coming to UB as the Bulls’ director of player personnel. He will coach the cornerbacks beginning in 2021 after previously coaching the safeties.
In 2020, safeties played a large role in the helping the Bulls finish atop the Mid-American Conference rankings in total defense. Safety Cory Gross ranked second on the team in tackles with 42. Tyrone Hill ranked fourth on the team in tackles (31) and second in pass breakups (6).
Burrow made an immediate impact in his first season coaching safeties. Both starting safeties, Joey Banks and Tyrone Hill, were named All-MAC. Banks was named to the first team after leading the Bulls in tackles (85) and interceptions (3). Hill was a second-team selection after recording 70 tackles and a team-best 10 pass breakups.
Prior to arriving at UB in 2018, Burrow served as Kent State’s safeties coach from 2011-17 and was promoted to co-defensive coordinator in 2017. He was part of the Golden Flashes’ 2012 MAC East title run and the program’s first bowl appearance in 40 years. In each of Burrow’s first five seasons, a Kent State safety earned All-MAC honors, including two-time first-team All-MAC pick Nate Holley.
In his time at Kent State, he coached a number of Academic All-MAC players, including Jordan Italiano who became the first football player in Kent State’s history to be a three-time Academic All-American. In 2015, he was the nation’s only position coach to have two Academic All-Americans.
Prior to Kent State, Burrow spent one season as the secondary coach at Indiana State after spending the previous season as the assistant secondary coach at Marshall. From 2007-08, Burrow was the wide receiver’s coach at Jacksonville State.
Burrow was the defensive graduate assistant at Notre Dame in 2005-06. He also served as the defensive graduate assistant at Minnesota in 2003 and 2004.
Burrow was a four-year starter at cornerback at the University of Cincinnati from 1995-99. Following his collegiate career, he signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League and played one season with the team.
The Sylvester, GA native earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Cincinnati in 1999 and a master’s degree in education from Minnesota in 2004. He and his wife, Janea, have three daughters, Jazmyne, Jaelyn and Jayda.
