Men's Basketball Coaches

Frank Burnell
Head Coach
(904) 470-8399
Frank.burnell@ewc.edu

A native of Jacksonville, Head Coach Frank Burnell makes his return to his hometown in 2011 with plans on returning the men’s basketball program at Edward Waters College back to prominence. Burnell brings over 25 years of coaching experience to EWC and also brings with him a championship pedigree as both a player and head coach on the prep, college, & professional levels.

Burnell comes to Edward Waters after two stints as a head coach and assistant at Daytona Beach Community College (now Daytona State College). Burnell’s first stint at DBCC was from 1993-2003 where he was the head coach of the men’s basketball program. During that time, Burnell and his teams had some of the most successful runs in the history of junior college basketball in the State of Florida, compiling a record of 213-101. Burnell lead the Falcons to four outright Mid-Florida Conference regular season championships, two Mid-Florida Conference Tournament championships, and a Florida Community College Activities Association state championship in 1999. Coach Burnell was also named Mid-Florida Conference Coach of the Year in 1999, 2001, & 2002 and was also named Florida Junior College Coach of the Year District VIII in 1999. For his achievements as the head coach at DBCC, Burnell was inducted into the Florida Community College Activities Association Coaches Hall of Fame in 2005. After leaving the program in 2003, Burnell returned to DBCC in 2009 as an assistant coach under current Falcons head coach Anthony Andre.

In 2003, Burnell took his coaching talents to the NCAA Division I ranks as he signed on to be an assistant coach at the University of South Florida in Tampa under then head coach Robert McCullum. During his four year period in Tampa, Burnell played an instrumental part in the rebuilding of a program that was transitioning from Conference USA to the Big East Conference. Burnell assisted with the Bulls’ front line players, supervised the team’s scheduling & academics, and helped with the teams’ scouting responsibilities.  

In 1986, Burnell began his coaching career at his Alma Mater, Stetson University in Deland where he coached under legendary head coach Glenn Wilkes. Burnell spent seven years as an assistant at Stetson and it was there that he got his opportunity to grow as a coach on the collegiate level.

Burnell earned a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree from Stetson in 1985 after a sterling career on the basketball floor for the Hatters. Burnell was a four-year letterman, the captain of his team during his senior season, and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player during his Junior & Senior seasons. Burnell is still in the Hatters’ record books, scoring 1,491 points (14.1 points per game average) over his four year career, a mark which currently ranks seventh on Stetson’s all-time scoring list. He also scored 556 points (19.9 ppg) in his senior season which also ranks seventh on the all-time single-season list.

Following his playing career at Stetson, Burnell entered the ranks of professional basketball, playing for two years (1983-84 & 1984-85) for the Puerto Rico Coquis of the Continental Basketball Association.

Locally, Burnell is most known for his prowess on the basketball floor as a player at Jean Ribault High School from 1976-1979 under Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Famer, the late Bernard Wilkes. Burnell attributes the success that he had on the floor as a player and on the bench as a coach to Coach Wilkes.

Danny Pearson
Assistant Coach

A native of Columbia, SC, Pearson was a three year starter on the varsity basketball team at Eau Claire High, playing for legendary Coach George Glymph, a winner of six state championships and a former coach in the NBA. In his senior season, After leading his team to a state crown with a 23-2 record, Danny earned first team All-State honors, was named the Columbia Record Player of the Year, the Lower State Player of the Year and was selected the MVP of the South Carolina High School All-Star game.

Upon graduation, Pearson attended Georgia Tech, where he became a starter as a freshman, recording 9.0 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game for the Yellow Jackets. The following year, he transferred to Jacksonville University, and completed his collegiate career. As a Dolphin, he averaged 18 point and 7 rebounds per game in his senior season, which helped him earn first team All-Sun Belt Conference, and was named to the 1987 Basketball Weekly All-America Team as an Honorable Mention. Pearson still holds the JU 3-point percentage record, at an amazing 51 percent.

A third round draft pick of the Washington Bullets (now the Wizards), in the 1987 NBA draft. He would go on to play eight season in Europe. While a professional, he played for several outstanding coaches, including George Karl and Flip Saunders.

Shawn Taylor
Assistant Coach

A native of Jacksonville, Taylor served on the coaching staff at his alma mater of William M. Raines High for 11 years. Shawn helped guide the Vikings to back-to-back State Championships, five Regional crowns, eight District titles, and five Gateway Conference championships. Along with his coaching duties at EWC, he serves as the Basketball Operations Coordinator. During his tenure at EWC, he was part of the 2008 staff that defeated Sun Conference powerhouse Northwood University, coached by legendary head coach Rollie Massimino.

Outside of EWC, Shawn has worked as a supervisor for the Department of Parks and Recreation for the City of Jacksonville for nine years, helping to develop youth programs in the areas of character and leadership development, education, health, and sports fitness. He continues to serve as a mentor to young men in the Duval, Union, Clay, and Nassau counties.