Irvine Experiences Sweet 16 Court Side

Zack Irvine had his turn cutting down the next at the Sweet 16 basketball tournament.

When Madison Central beat Ballard High School for the Sweet 16 High School Basketball Championship, Burgin native Zack Irvine witnessed the excitement firsthand from Central’s sideline as an assistant coach. The 2009 Burgin High School graduate and former basketball player transitioned from playing to helping coach and doing so allowed him to take part in the pinnacle of high school basketball competition in Kentucky.

Irvine, currently a senior at Eastern Kentucky University, is studying to be a physical education teacher and has aspirations of being a high school basketball coach. He assisted at Richmond Model last season, noting the size of the school was very similar to Burgin, but looked to gain a different perspective from a larger school, “it was good to see how the coach conducted the program and the diversity of going to a school with 150 to 1700 students.”

Irvine’s father, Don, was longtime coach at Burgin, and it could be said coaching was in his blood. “My father is really supportive of everything I’ve done,” said Irvine. “I’ve always had a personal love of the game and tried to better myself and push my teammates and its lead me to coaching. There is nothing I’d rather do.” Irvine will start his student teaching next semester, but even in class, the court always calls to him “I couldn’t wait to get through my college classes to get to practice.”