Wabash College Athletics

Chris Burke took over as head coach of the Wabash College lacrosse program on July 1, 2021.

The LIttle Giants won a season-best eight games in 2024, setting a new program mark of 179 goals scored. The 10.95 goals-against average for the season also set a new program-best mark. Junior Quinn Fitzgerald  earned Third Team All-NCAC honors after leading the Little Giants in scoring with 39 goals. He ranked fifth among NCAC players with an average of 4.07 points per game.

Wabash posted seven wins in 2023 with a 7-9 overall record. The Little Giants scored  171 goals and broke the school record for assists with 111. Quinn Fitzgerald tied the NCAA Division III record for goals scored in a game by tallying 13 in a win at Concordia Chicago. Fitzgerald and Artie Rogers became the first Wabash players to earn national honors after being named to the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association / Dynamic Team of the Week in March 2022. Faceoff specialist Luka DiFilippo broke the Wabash single-game record for faceoff wins with a 25-of-29 effort at the dot against Anderson to earn NCAC Player of the Week honors. Wabash set seven new single-season team records and broke two single-game team marks in 2023.  

Wabash finished 4-12 overall in Burke's first season at the helm with a 1-8 record in North Coast Athletic Conference games. Senior Jeremiah Eaton was named to the 2022 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars Men's Lacrosse First Team by Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine. Fellow senior Evan Schiefelbein earned Honorable Mention All-NCAC honors for the second consecutive season. 
 
Burke came to Wabash from Maryville University in St. Louis, Missouri, where he served the past four seasons as the first assistant coach, defensive and goalie coach, and recruiting coordinator for the men’s lacrosse program. The Saints were ranked as high as 12th nationally in 2021 and ranked sixth among NCAA Division II schools in man-down defense (eight goals against in 44 attempts), 11th in scoring defense (8.46 goals allowed), and 16th in caused turnovers (9.92 per game). The Saints have earned berths in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Tournament in three of Burke’s four seasons as an assistant. Burke coached the 2019 GLVC Men’s Lacrosse Player of the Year and the 2021 GLVC Freshman of the Year. A total of nine Maryville players earned All-GLVC honors for the 2021 campaign. The Saints were ranked 17^th in the nation in 2019 and led the nation in caused turnovers.
 
Burke spent two seasons as a volunteer assistant coach at Saint Leo University in Florida before joining the NCAA Division II program as a player. Burke served as team captain as a senior and helped the Lions earn a Sunshine State Conference tournament appearance in 2016. Burke also served as the Student Veterans of America President while at Saint Leo.
 
A native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Burke won three divisional championships as a member of the First Colonial Lacrosse Club. He also currently serves as the program director for True Indiana Lacrosse out of Indianapolis, Indiana.
 
Burke served as a member of the United States Marine Corps for five years. He rose to the rank of corporal and received a Purple Heart after being wounded in combat in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
 

Chris Burke’s Coaching Record (19-29 overall (three seasons); 3-22 NCAC

2024 —  8-8 overall —  1-7 NCAC (eighth); One All-NCAC honoree
2023 — 7-9 overall — 1-7 NCAC (eighth); One All-NCAC honoree
2022 — 4-12 overall — 1-8 NCAC (ninth); One All-NCAC honoree