Burton promoted to Evanston’s top football spot

Jim Burton, an assistant coach for the Evanston football program, has been promoted to the program’s head coaching spot, the Uinta County Herald has reported on social media.

Burton will replace Pat Fackrell, who stepped down in March after nine seasons as the Red Devils’ head coach.

Burton has been an assistant coach with the Red Devils for the past three seasons and was a middle-school coach in Evanston the previous four years, he said via email Tuesday with wyoming-football.com. Prior to that, Burton spent three years coaching at Stansbury High in Utah and three more years coaching at Tooele High, also in Utah.

Burton teaches seventh grade science at Davis Middle School in Evanston.

Evanston activities director Bubba O’Neill said via email that Burton was hired Monday.

Evanston went 6-4 last season and reached the first round of the Class 3A playoffs.

Evanston is the fifth Wyoming school to name a new head football coach for 2019, joining Kelly Walsh, Rock Springs, Glenrock and Lovell. Other schools looking for new head coaches include Gillette, Torrington, Evanston, Big Piney, Pinedale and Wyoming Indian. If you know of other head coaching changes statewide, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

Updated at 3:47 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, with comments from Burton and O’Neill.