News Reporters
Longtime Choate coaches, Charles Timlin and Robert Burns will step down after their respected, successful careers at the conclusion of Spring Term.
Mr. Burns will be leaving to lead “a care-giving role for his wife as she goes through surgery,” and Mr. Timlin will be taking a year off to teach in the Choate term abroad program.
As for a search for new coaches, mum was the word from the Athletic Department, as they had no recent news except for “we are still looking”.
Timlin came to Choate in 1981 and has taught both Latin and English. He served as Director of Athletics from 1992 to 1996 and was responsible for bringing back the Wild Boar as the school’s mascot.
Burns, who coached for 27 years at Choate, originally started the Choate swimming team and has built it into a regional dynasty. Timlin has also been a strong coach of basketball, leading numerous teams to New England playoff berths.
After his retirement, Burns will relocate to Florida, where he has been living and caring for his wife. Timlin will teach in Spain for a year as part of The School Year Abroad program, a consortium run by rival schools like Andover and Exeter. Timlin intends to return to Choate in the 2007-2008 school year, but not as a basketball coach.
Both Burns and Timlin will end their career with glory still in their hands. This year, Timlin led the basketball team to a playoff berth as the third seed in the New England tournament, while the boys swimming team repeated as Western New England and Founder’s League Champions.
Burns came to Choate in 1978 and started the swimming program. Boys Swimming Captain John Dillon ‘06 noted that Mr. Burns’ “good sense of humor” and “generous personality” led to the team’s success since his freshmen year. Despite the size of both the boys and girls swimming teams, Burns knows every swimmer well. He analyzes opponent’s data and bases his outstanding coaching on good communication with all of his players.
Burns made history by coaching the first ever co-ed swim team in Prep School history in 1979 and has built the program up ever since. Even in his final season, he remained dedicated as shown through his detailed game reports in The Press.
“We have done well on the won-loss side, but what I am most proud of is the team unity, team spirit aspect,” says the departing swim coach.
Timlin, after spending eight years as both the JV and assistant Varsity coach, became head coach for the varsity team in 1991. He knows he made the right decision by stepping down now. “My only regret is leaving this year’s juniors,” including “two guys that started every game both their sophomore and junior years,” said Coach Timlin referring to this year’s Captains Connor Meehan ‘07 and Mike Mackie ‘07 and the other two of the “big four,” Corey Sherman ’07 and Daryl Wells ‘07. Mr. Timlin says he will miss the basketball team, especially “the time spent outside of games,” such as the sessions “on the practice courts, before and after practice”, and “just talking to the guys.”
Burns has many great memories of the swim team from a coaching career that spanned 27 years and concluded in the winter of 2006. He considers this year to be one of his best seasons because of “the overall improvement” of the swimming team. He takes joy in juggling the lineup, and one of his best coaching moments was when he put up Jess Brookman ‘02 in three consecutive events, an unheard of strategy, and she won each one against a tough Loomis squad.
Timlin also has many great memories of the basketball team. He enjoyed coaching both of his sons. For seven years straight he coached one of his sons on his team. One of his best memories as a coach was beating Deerfield at Deerfield two years ago. Mr. Timlin described the game as “a volatile hyped-up atmosphere” which included on the Green squad a player who transferred from Choate to Deerfield. Choate came back from 13 points down with 4:58 left to play, ending on a 16-2 run to win it.
Both the Swimming and Boys Basketball programs are left with squads that are optimistic of success next season. The Swimming team is left with the freshman sensation Caroline Wilson ‘09, the defending 500 free New England Champion, and Jay Li ‘07, one of the fastest sprinters Choate Swimming has ever seen.
In basketball, the Big Four Juniors Corey Sherman ‘07, Daryl Wells ‘07, Mike Mackie, and Connor Meehan are returning.“The missing pieces are a point guard and an inside post player,” said Timlin of the 2007-2008 team.
