Terry Burdette, a well-respected and highly-successful travel team coach, assumed the head coaching duties for the Hood softball team for the 2012 spring season. Burdette served as an assistant on the Blazer staff during the Fall 2011 semester under Kate Barrick, who stepped down after four seasons at the helm.

In his first season as the Blazers' mentor, Hood finished with a record of 8-31 and qualified for the Capital Athletic Conference tournament for the fifth straight year. Additionally, first baseman Kelly Gafner '12 was named to the all-CAC second team.

As the head coach of the 18U Heartbreakers Junior Olympic Travel Team, Burdette has racked up an extraordinary overall record of 634-319 since 1995. He was recognized at the 2010 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Convention for eclipsing the 600-win plateau. His Heartbreaker squads have amassed seven top 10 finishes in the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA) and Protect Our Nation's Youth (PONY) Nationals, which included four top 3 finishes.

Burdette has mentored 65 players who went on to play at the collegiate level, including 33 at Division I programs. Among those outstanding student-athletes is former Blazer head coach, Kate Barrick, who in 2005 was lauded as the Atlantic 10 Conference player of the year while at Fordham University. Burdette also coached Iona College teammates Alison Higgs and Liz Hammel, who captured the 2004 and 2005 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) player of the year awards, respectively. In addition, Higgs went on to showcase her talents for one season in the National Pro Fastpitch League.

A native of Dickerson, Md., Burdette also serves as the camp director for the Heartbreakers Softball Camp, which he developed in 1996 with 13 attendees. Today, the camp has swelled to as many as 150 campers who wish to hone their skills in all areas of the game.

Burdette has also offered his expertise as a clinician at pitching, hitting and coaching clinics throughout the Central Atlantic region, including the 2009 Softball Bash in Richmond, Va.

Burdette's previous collegiate coaching experience includes a three-year stint at Mount St. Mary's University. During his first season in Emmitsburg in 2004, Burdette primarily worked with the Mountaineer pitching staff, but assumed a more comprehensive team role in 2005 and 2006.

On the high school level, Burdette served as an assistant softball coach at nearby Walkersville High School from 1999-2002 and 2008-11 and helped guide the Lions to the Maryland 2A state championship crown in 1999.

Burdette received a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from Elizabethtown College in 1978. He has been a member of the NFCA since 1995 and served on the executive board as the organization's National Travel Ball Representative from 2005-2010.

Burdette and his wife, Barbara, reside in Woodsboro. They have six children, Jennifer, Amy, Lisa, Tara, Jimmy and Bryan in addition to four grandchildren, Ashley, Tyler, Bethany and Lyla Susan.