Steve Burrough was a 1984 graduate of Pinson Valley High School where he was a three-year letterman in baseball and a four-year letterman in wrestling. Steve began his wrestling career as a ninth grader. He was a three-year starter under Coach Hank Williford and Coach Anthony Montalto. He qualified for the State Championship three times and placed third as a junior and first as a senior. After high school Steve attended Jacksonville State University for a couple years before returning to volunteer as an assistant coach for his alma mater from 1988-1992 under Coach Greg Watts. That experience stoked his passion to pursue a career in coaching and teaching. In 1992 he met his wife, Gayle Weeks. They were married in 1996 and have two children, Cole, 15, and Chloe, 10. After working to help Gayle complete her degree as a physical therapist, Steve began working on his degree in education at Carson-Newman University in 1998 where he decided to wrestle for the Eagles as a walk-on. As Gayle's job brought them back to Birmingham, Steve finished his degree in Social Science and his Master's Degree in Education. After short stints at Erwin Middle and Moody High Schools he began his tenure at Oak Mountain High School in 2006 leading the Eagle's wrestling team. It was during his third season (2009) with the Eagles that Steve began experiencing a persistent cough that was diagnosed as acid reflux. However, beginning in fall of 2014 his symptoms escalated to include vocal cord paresis and severe weight loss. He was eventually diagnosed and treated for mycobacterium complex for two years, but his symptoms worsened, including continued weight loss (eventually dropping from 195 lbs to 143 lbs), severe fatigue, and difficulty breathing. He was referred to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and after numerous visits, tests, and surgeries, Steve was re-diagnosed with an autoimmune disease - Pulmonary and Neuro-Sarcoidosis - in 2016. During his illness, Steve has been blessed to continue coaching due to the incredible support of his family, wrestlers and their families, co-workers, and administrators. He ultimately hopes to use his illness to inspire his wrestlers to work through adversity; to model perseverance and all the character traits all coaches seek to instill in their athletes. While at Oak Mountain High School, Coach Burrough has been named Shelby County Coach of the Year a couple of times, and Alabama Coach of the Year (2015-16). During his tenure, Oak Mountain has produced 58 State Placers, 22 State Runners-up, and 7 State Champions. Oak Mountain has also been a perennial top-five team in the state with a dual record of 300-86 under Coach Burrough's leadership.