Community Colleges of Spokane athletic director Ken Burrus honored, will retire next month

Community Colleges of Spokane’s Ken Burrus was named the Northwest Athletic Conference Athletic Director of the Year on Tuesday.

Burrus will also be inducted into the CCS Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday.

He’s going out on top.

Burrus, 62, will retire June 30 after a 13 year-stint with the school. His longtime assistant, former CCS baseball coach Bobby Lee, will take over as interim AD.

His induction ceremony and retirement party will be at 5:30 p.m. at the CCS gymnasium.

“The last 13 years have been the most rewarding of my career,” Burrus said. “Working with the city of Spokane, the coaches and student-athletes has been great.”

Burrus said he plans to use his upcoming free time to fish, golf, travel and frequent his property on the Pend Oreille River.

Burrus, who has also been the Dean of Physical Education, came to CCS after he served as Shoreline (Washington) Community College’s athletic director for 10 years.

Since the NWAC started the Maury Ray Cup in 2013 – an annual award given to the league’s best all-around athletic department – CCS won the cup six years in a row (2013-2018) under Burrus’ leadership.

In 2016 and 2017, CCS was recognized by the National Alliance of Two Year College Athletic Administrators for overall team achievement.

Burrus also helped secure the student financing for the recent $18,000 million upgrade to its SFCC athletic center.

“What I’ll miss most is the kids,” said Burrus, who has hired over half the athletic department’s current employees. “And seeing them grow and go on and be great adults.”