MANSFIELD - Pat Burns is coming to Mansfield.

No, not the former Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils hockey coach.

Pat Burns, the Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Business Operations at the University of Massachusetts-Boston.

Burns, a native of Pittsburgh who has resided in Mansfield since 1985, was named Monday by Mansfield School Department Superintendent Brenda Hodges as the new Athletic Director at Mansfield High School.

"Mansfield High has a very good and a very strong foundation, I have to continue to go forward with it," said Burns, who will assume the post on or about Aug. 1, succeeding Margaret Conaty, who resigned after nearly two decades in stewarding the MHS athletic department to assume a similar AD post in her hometown of Hingham. "That was one of the reasons that I applied for the job, to work in my hometown," said Burns, who oddly enough was recruited to New England because of the NFL relationship between the Sullivan family (New England Patriots) and the Rooney family (Pittsburgh Steelers).

A graduate from Indiana University in Pennsylvania, Burns was working on the IUP athletic administrative staff at the time. "The Sullivan's were looking for someone to help run the Foxboro Raceway and a person that I knew from IUP was friendly with the Rooney family, who recommended me to the Sullivans," said Burns.

"I came up here in May of 1984 and was the Foxboro Raceway manager," added Burns, who then used his business administrative skills in serving in a number of positions at UMass-Boston for the past 20 years.

"It's amazing how opportunities present themselves," added Burns of his post in Foxboro, of his post with the Beacons in South Boston and now at Mansfield High School.

At UMass, Burns has served as an assistant athletic director, an associate athletic director in charge of facilities, an interim athletic director in charge of athletics and recreation and most recently in business operations.

At UMass-Boston, Burns served as one of the facilities directors when the Democratic Party had its national convention there in 2004. He has been one of the coordinators with the MIAA for its series of South Sectional boys' and girls' basketball tournament games, a liaison with the organizers for the Bay State games, a conduit with the Boston Celtics and the NBA for its five-year run of the New England Summer Pro Developmental League.

"But each time that my title changed, I was responsible mostly for the daily business affairs," said Burns. "That's what attracted me to the position at Mansfield High, to get back into athletics, to work with coaches and athletes."

Burns was, according to sources, one of three finalists for the position, which also included current MHS football coach Mike Redding. Members of the search committee informed Redding that to be considered for the Athletic Director position he would have to relinquish his football coaching position, as well as serving as the girls' varsity basketball coach.

It was Burns' freshman football coach in high school, who also served as the athletic director and guidance counselor, who planted the seed in his head for a career path. "Back in those days, there weren't any computers, I saw what he did on a daily basis, how things got organized, I was fascinated," he said.

Burns attended Robert Morris College (where former Bishop Feehan High hoop great Mark Schmidt served as the men's basketball coach) in Pittsburgh on a baseball scholarship. He transferred to Indiana University of Pennsylvania and became further immersed with athletics administration. "I worked in the AD's office, the men's basketball office," added Burns of the many hats that he has worn. "Even though I was working for the Athletic Department at UMass-Boston, my involvement was not as much with athletics as it was the business side," he continued.

The Athletic Director position at Mansfield is a 12-month position, with teaching or coaching responsibilities. "I wasn't really looking, but the opportunity presented itself," said Burns. "I'm familiar with the success that the teams at Mansfield High have had, the facility, the youth sports programs in town.

"What interested me was what Margaret Conaty had said in her exit address, that it was for a job in her home town. From the experiences that I have had, the skills of coordinating, of delegating, I plan on carrying that forward at Mansfield High."