IOLA — Longtime Iola High School teacher, coach and athletic director Leo Burger will be inducted into the Don Bain Hall of Fame during the school’s Homecoming festivities Friday, Oct. 16.
The ceremony will take place at the Iola bandstand immediately following the Homecoming Parade and the introduction of the Homecoming King and Queen Court. The honor recognizes Burger’s decades of service to Iola High School and the community.
A 1926 Iola High School graduate, Burger competed in football, basketball and track. His senior football team went undefeated, and he served as basketball team captain. He also participated in Student Council and the I & Hi-Y Club and held positions as class treasurer and secretary.
Burger returned to Iola High School as a teacher in 1940 and served until his death in 1969. He taught mathematics, economics and psychology, along with classes at Iola Junior College when it occupied the high school’s third floor. His career also included roles as head football coach, head basketball coach and athletic director.
Burger remains the second-winningest football coach in school history, recording four winning seasons and leading the Mustangs to the Southeast Kansas League championship in 1947. He temporarily left his educational duties in 1944 after being activated for military service during World War II.
His connections to the Hall of Fame include coaching Don Bain in both football and basketball and hiring fellow inductee Coach Mav Smith.
Burger’s legacy also lives on through the Iola Mustang Football Alumni’s annual Distinguished Mustang Award, named in honor of Burger and Coach Wendell Frazell.
