Black History Month Spotlight - Hofstra's Darius Burton
Rob Washburn
In celebration of Black History Month, the CAA is recognizing one former student-athlete, coach or administrator from each of its 10 member institutions who have made a significant impact in the community. The conference is proud to promote these men and women for their outstanding accomplishments.
Today we recognize Hofstra's Darius Burton
Darius Burton, Hofstra - Men’s Basketball (1993-97)/Men’s Soccer (1997)
Darius Burton was a member of the Hofstra men’s basketball program from 1993 to 1997, and then played one year of soccer as a graduate student during the 1997 season.
During his basketball career, Darius played in 111 games with 107 starts and scored 1,060 points, which currently ranks 36th on the Hofstra all-time scoring list. A point guard, Burton also dished out 560 assists during his career, a total that ranks third all-time at Hofstra. His 264 career steals rank fourth all-time at Hofstra. One of the top players in the America East Conference, Burton led the league in assists and steals in 1994-95 (6.5 apg, 2.5 spg) and 1995-96 (6.3 apg, 2.6 spg). After completing his basketball career, Burton played one year on the men’s soccer team and earned America East Rookie of the Year accolades after tallying two goals and three assists in 21 games as a midfielder.
A standout scholastic player at Baldwin High School on Long Island, Burton was a two-sport, four-year student-athlete in the early 1990s. He earned All-America honors twice in soccer and once in basketball. In basketball, he was named to All-Nassau County, All-Long Island, All-New York State and All-America teams as a senior after averaging 25 points, eight assists, and six steals while leading Baldwin to a 17-2 record. During his stellar scholastic soccer career, Burton was named the 20th-best incoming freshman soccer player by the
Soccer News.
Burton returned to his high school alma mater as a physical education teacher and coach in 1999, and took over as head basketball coach in 2000. He has led a highly successful program at Baldwin, winning three Long Island and six Nassau AA championships, as well as 13 conference titles in his 22 seasons. This past January, Burton achieved a career milestone as he recorded his 350th career victory. In addition to his coaching and teaching, Burton is a beloved mentor and a pillar in the Baldwin community.