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Wiedmer: Like coaches everywhere, UTC’s Burrows learning to cope with COVID-19

Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / University of Tennessee at Chattanooga head coach Katie Burrows points during her team's game against East Tennessee State University at McKenzie Arena on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / University of Tennessee at Chattanooga head coach Katie Burrows points during her team's game against East Tennessee State University at McKenzie Arena on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021 in Chattanooga, Tenn.

By Mark Wiedmer February 1, 2021 4 min read

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s basketball coach Katie Burrows doesn’t normally embrace a warm and fuzzy coaching style. Much as she was during her days as an outstanding Mocs player, Burrows is typically filled with fire and feistiness, hard to please and never satisfied.

Yet when COVID-19 not only quarantined her for 10 days before the start of the season, but also knocked out eight of her players for a time, Burrows elected to dial her energy and enthusiasm back a bit for the opener against Alabama-Birmingham.

“By the time we’d cleared all our COVID issues, we only had about three days to get ready for UAB,” she recalled on Monday. “There was no way we weren’t going to be a little rusty. We still had to get our legs under us. I tried to keep (her coaching) a little tempered.”

And how long did that kinder, gentler Burrows last?

“About three or four games,” she laughed. “After that I said, ‘This gig is up.'”