St. Rita of Cascia High School Announces New Head Basketball Coach
CHICAGO – Deacon John Donahue, J.D., Ed.D., President of St. Rita of Cascia High School has appointed Ross Burt as Head Basketball Coach.
Burt comes to St. Rita from Walter Payton College Preparatory High School, where he held the Head Boys’ Basketball Coach position since he arrived in Chicago from San Antonio in 2020. During his tenure at the selective enrollment school, Coach Burt built a winning program. He led the team to an All-State Academic Team Award and CPL White West Championship, both program firsts. He also coached an IBCA All-State Student-Athlete and an IBCA 3A/4A All-Star. Burt established the first-ever youth summer camp at Payton.
Before his position at Payton, Burt was an Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at Trinity University in San Antonio from 2008-2019, where he specialized in designing and implementing local and national strategies to enroll student-athletes that exemplified the university’s mission and academic standards. He also managed the program’s operations and alumni relations. While at Trinity, Burt was simultaneously the Director and Coach for the university’s summer basketball camps where he established Trinity’s Prospect Camps. He also has served as a youth coach for the San Antonio Spurs, Georgetown University, Rice University, Cornell University, NABC and others.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ross Burt as Head Basketball Coach,” Deacon John said. “At St. Rita, we are interested in getting back to basics by building a program, not just a single season. Coach Ross has demonstrated the ability to build a program that will be sustainable over time.”
Burt is a member of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, National Association of Basketball Coaches, National Strength and Conditioning Association, and an All-State Selection Committee Representative. He also holds his Strength and Conditioning Certification (ISSA – SSC Level II).
Burt said, “I am grateful to Deacon Donahue for this opportunity and thrilled to be joining St. Rita. I look forward to fully investing my passion for mentorship and competition into this historic community that values the benefits of team sports and the student-athlete experience. I am excited to become a member of the St. Rita Family, and believe together we will make a lifelong, positive impact for our Ritamen and families. We will work hard to foster a successful, inclusive basketball culture that exemplifies the Augustinian values of Truth, Unity and Love.”
“Coach Burt has a strong coaching skill set as well as experience in leadership development, organizational strategy, mentorship and communication that will lay the foundation for a championship winning basketball program,” Athletic Director A.J. Avery ‘12 said. “Our student-athletes will benefit from his philosophy of embracing success through mutual respect, with a growth mindset.”
A native of Houston, Burt will also work full-time at St. Rita as Admissions Coordinator. Coach Burt is an alumnus of Trinity University where he was a basketball standout. From the 2002-03 through 2005-06 seasons, Coach Burt earned D3hoops.com All-South Region honors and was selected for the All-SCAC First Team. A team captain, Coach Burt scored over 1,000 points. He was also a member of the 2004-05 team that won a school-record 25 games and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Accounting and a Master of Science degree in Accounting both from Trinity. Prior to coaching, Burt was a public accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. He and his wife, Lindsay, are parishioners of Old St. Mary’s Parish and reside in the Near South Side neighborhood.