From the Bench: New BHS Coach with State Title on Résumé Resigns Current Coaching Gig "Unbeaten"
By Jeff Toquinto on February 28, 2021 from Sports Blog
Bridgeport’s sports history is littered with great accomplishments by teams, individuals, and coaches. As it turns out, I am pretty sure one thing that slipped under the radar is a first for the Indians and their sports programs.
A coach, who has a state championship résumé resigned from a position without ever losing a contest. That is correct. The coach in question 
leaves his previous position with no defeats.
leaves his previous position with no defeats.
That became a reality earlier this month when the Harrison County Board of Education officially hired Grant Burton as the new boys track and field coach at Bridgeport High School. In order to take the position, he stepped down as the coach of the girls track program.
“I guess I didn’t lose in any meets,” said Burton, with a laugh, and probably a little less excited about such a feat than one might expect.
Then again, there is a reason he has not lost a meet. It was just this past November when Burton was named the girls track coach. What that means is he never actually coached a single meet for the Indians.
Regardless, on a technicality, Burton steps down unbeaten. On a more serious note, Burton will go from looking to fill the shoes of Emilee Yurish who coached for a decade, to replacing a coach with three decades of coaching under this belt in Jon Griffith.
While Burton was extremely familiar with Yurish as an assistant with the Indians, his ties with Griffith run deep. He has known him since he was in his early teens.
“I’ve known Griff since running track in middle school and the I ran track for him,” said Burton, who earned a state championship as an assistant coach on the volleyball squad. “I’ve always been in touch with him since then, including my days when I was running at West Virginia Wesleyan and then coaching there. I know his importance to this program and that it is no easy task.”
Griffith was the boys’ coach but played a pivotal role in managing in tandem with Yurish – and the assistants – both programs. That management included practices, scheduling meets, and organizing countless events. Taking over some of those potential joint responsibilities once a new girls’ coach is filled in for the absence of Burton/Yurish should not be a problem.
“I was actually an assistant for both programs at Bridgeport,” said Burton, who is also an assistant currently for the boys’ basketball team. “My approach is the same in that I want to be the one to continue what Griff started and Emilee helped build on the girls’ side as well. I want to keep it at that level at rise up to the next level, literally and figuratively, with the program moving to ‘AAA’ this year.”
The effort to make that jump started earlier this week. On Tuesday, and for the next several Tuesdays and Thursdays, Burton will be doing conditioning with the team at 3 p.m. right after classes.
Along with that, he plans on working with other varsity coaches about getting more athletes out for track. And at the same time, getting his track athletes involved in other sports.
“Track is the perfect carry sport. Football to track, basketball to track, soccer to track, you name it, and it translates well as far as helping yourself excel in another sport,” said Burton. “The coaches I have talked with are very receptive to this, and we’re certainly receptive to showing our athletes the benefits of other sports.”
The 2005 Bridgeport alum should not be without a peer on the girls track side of the ledger for long. The job has already been posted and the posting has been taken down.
Whoever it is will likely be around longer than Burton. Barring something highly spectacular, it is unlikely they will leave the program without a loss.
Editor's Note: Photos show Grant Burton coaching in his assistant's role at BHS above and below. In the bottom photo he's shown with state record holder McKenna Smith. Photos by Ben Queen Photography.
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