Zohn Burden - Assistant Coach/Wide Receivers - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Zohn Burden

Title:
Assistant Coach/Wide Receivers
Phone:
(919) 684-2635

Zohn Burden joined the Blue Devil program in January 2022 and serves as an assistant coach, working primarily with the wide receivers. He also served as pass game coordinator for two seasons (2022-23).

Burden’s unit turned in an explosive 2025, led by Cooper Barkate, who became Duke’s first 1,000-yard receiver since 2014. Barkate, a Second Team All-ACC selection, finished the year ranked third in Duke single-season history with 1,106 yards and 10th in receptions with 72. Burden helped Barkate turn in one of his finest performances against No. 18 Georgia Tech, making 13 receptions for 172 yards to tie for the fifth most catches in a game in Blue Devil history.

With Burden’s leadership, Que’Sean Brown also excelled in 2025, finishing with 64 receptions for 846 yards and five touchdowns. Brown paired with Barkate to become the second Duke duo with 800 or more receiving yards each in a season. Brown and Barkate combined for 136 receptions, the seventh most in a season by a Duke pair in program history, and 1,952 receiving yards, the third most by a Duke pair in program history.

Burden worked with Sahmir Hagans throughout his career, which ended in 2025 with Hagans departing Duke ranked tied for second in program history in most games with one or more pass reception (48), fourth in most games with two or more receptions (41), tied for fifth in most seasons with three or more TD catches (3), tied for fifth in most seasons with five or more TD receptions (2), 12th in receptions (152), tied for 12th in touchdown receptions (14) and 17th in receiving yards (1,586).

Burden’s unit enjoyed a highly productive campaign in 2024 as Jordan Moore and Eli Pancol became the second Duke pair to both register eight or more touchdown receptions, joining Jamison Crowder and Conner Vernon in 2012. Moore and Pancol were Third Team All-ACC selections for their efforts.

Moore, who received Duke’s Carmen Falcone Most Valuable Player Award, caught 55 passes for 861 yards and eight touchdowns while Pancol hauled in 60 receptions for 798 yards and nine scores. Moore capped his Duke career in 2024 ranked tied for fifth in touchdown catches (21), seventh in receptions (177) and 10th in receiving yards (2,352). In addition to the outstanding duo, Hagans caught 47 passes for 413 yards and three touchdowns with Brown catching 41 passes for 455 yards and two scores. Brown, a redshirt freshman, finished fourth in Duke history for receptions by a freshman and fifth in receiving yards.

In 2023, Burden guided wide receivers Jalon Calhoun and Moore, as the pair became the first Duke duo to both register 600-plus receiving yards in back-to-back seasons since Vernon and Donovan Varner did so in three consecutive years from 2009-11. Calhoun finished the year with 50 receptions for 666 yards and four scores, while Moore led the team with 62 receptions for 835 yards and eight touchdowns. Moore, who earned Second Team All-ACC honors, concluded the year ranked tied for fourth in the ACC in receiving touchdowns, fifth in receptions, sixth in receiving yards and seventh in receptions per game (4.77) and receiving yards per game (64.23). Calhoun concluded his Duke career in 2023 ranked tied for third in program history in pass receptions (253) and fourth in receiving yards (3,026).

During his first season in Durham, Burden mentored Calhoun to All-ACC honors after accumulating a career and team-high 62 receptions for 873 yards (14.08) with four touchdowns. Calhoun’s receptions per game (4.77) and receiving yards per game (67.15) ranked eighth and ninth, respectively, in the ACC. His receiving yards and receptions were tied for 14th and 19th, respectively, on Duke’s single-season chart. Additionally, Burden assisted in the development of Moore, a converted quarterback who only started playing wide receiver during fall camp. Moore hauled in 60 receptions for 656 yards (10.93) and a team-leading five touchdowns during his first year as a starter. The pair became the 14th duo in Duke history to achieve 600-plus receiving yards in the same season and made Duke one of two ACC schools with two players with 650-plus receiving yards.

Burden came to Durham following a one-year stint (2021) as the wide receivers coach at the University of Maryland. During his time in College Park, Burden helped coach the Terrapins to a 7-6 record, including a 54-10 victory over Virginia Tech in the 2021 New Era Pinstripe Bowl. In addition, he mentored two All-Big Ten selections and had seven receivers register 300-plus yards. Wideout Rakim Jarrett led the team and finished ninth in the Big Ten in receiving yards with 829, while his 62 receptions and five receiving touchdowns placed him seventh and 10th in the conference, respectively.

Prior to Maryland, Burden founded G.A.M.E. Academy in 2020, which provided football training to high school and middle school athletes in a safe environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization also helped families and student-athletes navigate the recruiting process and provided tutoring for the SAT and ACT tests.

Burden coached at Virginia Tech for five seasons (2015-19), serving the last four as the running backs coach after mentoring the wide receivers in 2015. The Hokies won 40 games during Burden’s tenure, including the 2016 ACC Coastal Division title. He helped Virginia Tech appear in five consecutive bowl games and was instrumental in its recruiting efforts.

Virginia Tech averaged more than 170 rushing yards per game with Burden overseeing the unit. In 2018, he oversaw the quartet of Steven Peoples, Deshawn McClease, Jalen Holston and Terius Wheatley, which combined for 332 carries and 1,626 yards (4.9) with 11 touchdowns.

In 2015, Burden helped develop Isaiah Ford into Virginia Tech’s first 1,000-yard receiver with a then single-season school record 1,164 yards, including a 12-catch, 227-yard effort in the Independence Bowl.

Prior to Virginia Tech, Burden had two stints at Old Dominion University, the most recent as the Monarchs’ passing game and recruiting coordinator/wide receivers coach from 2012-14. There, he groomed three 1,000-yard wideouts in Antonio Vaughan (2014), Larry Pinkard (2013) and Nick Mayers (2012).

With Burden serving as passing game coordinator in 2013, Old Dominion ranked fourth in the FCS in scoring offense (42.3), fourth in passing offense (359.4) and seventh in total offense (519.0) as Pinkard led the squad with 68 catches for 1,020 yards.

In 2012, Burden helped lead the most prolific FCS offense as the Monarchs paced the nation in scoring (45.2), total offense (548.2), passing offense (393.8) and touchdown passes (44). Old Dominion claimed the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title that year and advanced to the FCS NCAA quarterfinals. With Burden’s assistance, Mayers tied for second nationally with a school-record 16 touchdown catches. He also set single-season school records with 79 receptions for 1,233 yards to earn All-America honors from College Sports Madness and Beyond Sports Network.

In Burden’s one season at the University of Richmond in 2011, he developed wide receiver Tre Gray into an Associated Press Third Team All-America after leading the CAA and setting Spiders’ single-season records with 95 receptions for 1,187 yards.

During Burden’s first stop at Old Dominion, from 2007-10, he served as the defensive backs coach, helping to build a roster from scratch. By the time the Monarchs got on the field in 2009, they produced a 9-2 mark, the best record for a first-year program in the modern era of college football.

Burden began his coaching career in 2006 at Fork Union Military Academy, where he coached wide receivers and the secondary, while also serving as the passing game coordinator and recruiting liaison. He worked with eventual NFL Draft first-round picks in defensive back Kareem Jackson and offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo. Jackson was selected by the Houston Texans with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2010 draft, while Castonzo was taken 22nd in the 2011 draft by the Indianapolis Colts.

A native of Virginia Beach, Va., Burden was a three-time All-Big South wide receiver and four-year letterwinner (2002-03-04-05) at VMI, finishing his career with 162 receptions for 2,101 yards with 12 touchdowns. He graduated ranked second, second and third in school history in career receptions, touchdown receptions and receiving yards, respectively. Burden three times achieved 500-plus receiving yards in a season, including 742 yards on 58 catches during his senior year in 2005.

He graduated from VMI with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2006. He and his wife, Toren, have seven children in daughters Langston and Zaria, and sons Aaron, Zamir, Eli, Hosea and Zen.

THE ZOHN BURDEN FILE
Hometown: Virginia Beach, Va.
Education: Virginia Military Institute, 2006 (psychology)
Wife: Toren
Children: Zaria, Zamir, Langston, Aaron, Eli, Hosea and Zen
Birthday: February 13, 1984

BURDEN’S COACHING CAREER

2024-pres. – Duke (Wide Receivers)
2022-23 – Duke (Pass Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers)
2021 – Maryland (Wide Receivers)
2020 – G.A.M.E. Academy (Founder/CEO)
2016-19 – Virginia Tech (Running Backs)
2015 – Virginia Tech (Wide Receivers)
2012-14 – Old Dominion (Pass Game & Recruiting Coordinator/Wide Receivers)
2011 – Richmond (Wide Receivers)
2007-10 – Old Dominion (Defensive Backs)
2006 – Fork Union Military Academy (Pass Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers/Secondary)