[079]Murfreesboro’s Burt Receives 2008-09 Young Alumni Achievement Honor

Release date: Sept. 5, 2008


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
MTSU Alumni Relations contact: Michelle Stepp, 615-898-2922

MTSU YOUNG ALUMNUS OF DISTINCTION
Murfreesboro’s Burt Receives 2008-09 Young Alumni Achievement Honor

(MURFREESBORO) — Micheal J. Burt of Murfreesboro has been selected as the 2008-09 Middle Tennessee State University Young Alumni Achievement Award recipient, the MTSU Alumni Association announced recently.
“It means a tremendous amount to me,” Burt said of the recognition. “All alumni — especially young alumni — to receive such an award is both an honor and a privilege.
“Where I got to today (professionally) had a lot to do with where I came from, and the (MTSU) people, professors and experience laid the foundation on my philosophy of helping people reach their potential.
“It is a big honor and I am very grateful.”
Burt, who grew up in the Cannon County town of Woodbury, earned his bachelor’s in 1998 and a master’s in education in 2002 from MTSU.
The Young Alumni Achievement honoree is a former teacher and highly successful girls basketball coach at Riverdale High School, where his teams had six straight 20-plus win seasons and his 2007 Lady Warriors captured the Class AAA state championship during the TSSAA Girls State Tournament in Murphy Center.
Burt has formed his own company, Maximum Success, a leadership consulting firm, in Murfreesboro. He specializes in goal cultivation, leadership enhancement and people development, his Web site (maximumsuccess.org) indicated.
On his nomination submission form, Burt said his professional accomplishments include being the author of three books on effective coaching; being a three-time coach of the year (plus the state title); and being a noted speaker and leadership expert for companies across the United States.
His service to community efforts include being founder and creator of Coaches for Special Kids Annual Classic, to raise funds and awareness for children with special needs; to consistently speak to and mentor at-risk students; to speak to and mentor college students; being the founder and creator of the Changing Lives through Coaching program to educate coaches and parents through sports; and offering one year of free consulting to the First Shot youth basketball program.
As for his service to the university, Burt said he has spoken and lectured at MTSU to help students find passion in life; he strategically partnered with the MTSU sports management program for experiential learning for students; and he actively has supported all MTSU programs in the community as a proud alumnus.
The Tennessean named Burt one of the Top 40 Under 40 most influential people in Tennessee. Also, he was named Riverdale head coach at age 22 and athletic director at age 30 — the youngest in Tennessee at both jobs, he said.
Also honored along with Burt are 2008-09 Distinguished Alumni recipients Linda Hooper (’63) of Whitwell, Tenn., who is being honored in the Professional Achievement category; Kenneth W. “Coon” Victory (’67) and Timothy E. “Tim” Pettus (’73) of Lawrenceburg, who is being saluted in the Service to the Community category.
The MTSU Alumni Association annually seeks and accepts nominations for the Distinguished Alumni and Young Alumni Achievement Awards. The selection is made from candidates who have distinguished themselves by obtaining a high level of service to their profession, their community and/or MTSU.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

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Media note: To contact Burt for an interview, e-mail him at coachburt@.net or call 615-849-2099.