Winston-Salem State hires Eric Burns as athletics director

Winston-Salem State athletics director Eric Burns.

The overhaul of Winston-Salem State athletics is complete.

Interim athletics director Eric Burns, who oversaw the hiring process of the Rams’ men’s basketball and football coaches during the 2025-26 academic year, has been promoted to the position full time. 

Burns was hired as deputy athletics director and chief financial officer in March 2025 and in October was appointed interim director. Among the hires during his tenure was Tory Woodbury as football coach and Jay Butler as men’s basketball coach. Woodbury, a WSSU alumnus and former NFL player, was hired in December. Butler, who coached Virginia Union to four NCAA Division II playoff berths over 11 seasons, was hired this month. 

“Winston-Salem State has a rich tradition of academic excellence, competitive success and a strong commitment to developing student-athletes both on and off the field,” Burns said in a statement. “I am proud to be part of a community that values integrity, resilience and the pursuit of greatness. I’m grateful to Chancellor [Bonita] Brown and the Board of Trustees for this opportunity.”

While WSSU struggled in football and men’s basketball, the Rams excelled elsewhere during the academic year with women’s basketball winning the school’s first CIAA tournament title and a berth in the NCAA Sweet 16. WSSU also won a second straight conference championship in women’s flag football. 

“Eric Burns has done an outstanding job as interim athletics director since his appointment, and several of our athletic teams have flourished under his leadership,” Brown said. “As the NCAA landscape continues to evolve, it is critical for Winston-Salem State University to maintain a competitive athletics department that enriches the lives of student-athletes while advancing the university’s mission and elevating its stature. I am confident Eric Burns is the right person to help us do just that.”

Prior to WSSU, Burns served as associate vice provost for budget and fiscal planning at the UNC School of the Arts, where he created institutional strategy, student success initiatives and financial planning. Before that, he spent 15 years at UNC Greensboro as senior associate athletics director for business operations, supervising fiscal operations and long-range models for sustainable growth. Burns also worked at Fayetteville State University in senior fiscal management positions. 

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