At Tennessee Tech University, there are certain names as recognizable as the cupola atop Derryberry Hall. One of those names is Marc L. Burnett.

The three-time Tech graduate, Tech Sports Hall of Fame inductee and former longtime vice president for student affairs – retired since 2019 – recently joined Tech’s “College Town Talk” podcast to look back at his extraordinary career and share favorite memories from his decades on campus.

As Burnett explained, it was the wise counsel of his late mother that first prompted him to enroll at Tech on a basketball scholarship back in 1977. 

“I initially said I was not going here,” said Burnett. “And my mom, who just passed a couple of weeks ago, said ‘you're going to Tennessee Tech.’ She said it’s a good school, you’ll learn and you’ll be somebody. Those were my mom’s exact words. ‘You’ll be somebody one day.’”

Once settled on campus, Burnett quickly saw the wisdom of his mother’s advice.

“Immediately, [I was met with] the feeling of warmth and welcome. I just took to it immediately, because there was always someone who would help you, no matter what was going on in your life, no matter what was happening,” Burnett explained. “If you asked someone, they would help you. And I took that as a personal pledge for myself when I became an employee.”

Service to others was a hallmark of Burnett’s 36 years of employment at Tech and continued following his retirement. In later years, he went on to serve as a local pastor, in leadership roles at the nonprofit Mustard Seed Ranch and on the Tennessee Arts Commission.

For his unparalleled legacy of service to the university, Burnett was honored with the naming of Tech’s Marc L. Burnett Student Recreation & Fitness Center, which celebrated its grand opening in 2021.

Burnett recalled being told the news by Tech President Phil Oldham over dinner at a local eatery.

“Dr. Oldham and his wife, Kari, invited my wife and I to dinner at Nick’s [Restaurant] one evening. I was wondering, ‘Okay, we’re going to dinner. I've been retired for more than a year, so I know I'm not in trouble for anything,’” Burnett said with a laugh. “Why are we going to Nick’s for dinner?"

Burnett continued, “He literally handed me a letter, and it said that they were going to recommend to our board that the new fitness center be named after me. Now, I don't remember much after that. I know that I didn't eat, and I'm sure I cried.”

When the state-of-the-art facility was formally dedicated four years ago, Burnett got to share the special moment with his mother – a memory that he treasures even more now, following her recent passing.

“I was thinking, you know, I was just a kid from Alcoa, Tennessee. I came to Tennessee Tech to play ball and to get a degree. More than anything else, my mom wanted for me to get a degree,” Burnett explained. “She didn't care about all this other stuff … We were always taught to be humble and be thankful to God for things that happen.”

Before her passing, Burnett’s mother got to see another honor bestowed upon her son. In late 2024, he was named to Cookeville Lifestyle magazine’s annual “most influential people” list.

A glowing tribute in the magazine’s winter issue declares that “the mission of being a positive voice for those teetering on the edge remains a compass, directing the way he lives each day.”

Burnett's friends and former colleagues like Robert Owens, Tech's senior executive for access, belonging and community outreach, say the honors are well deserved. 

"Marc’s presence, as a Black man, as a man of character and as an accessible leader at the university who was at the decision-making table with the other executive leaders of Tennessee Tech was empowering, inspiring, enlightening and encouraging to me as a young professional, and increasingly as I matured and grew as a leader on campus in my own right," said Owens. "Marc has left a positive, indelible impact on my life ... I’m thankful to have had the privilege of his mentorship and guidance throughout my professional career in higher education." 

Dontrell Baines, a 2009 Tech graduate now serving as chair of the university's Alumni Association Board of Directors, called Burnett "a cornerstone" of both Tech and the broader Cookeville community.

"His mentorship and leadership have significantly contributed to the university's growth," said Baines. "We are deeply grateful for his time on campus and the enduring legacy he leaves behind." 

True to his mother’s example, however, Burnett’s service was never motivated by accolades. Rather, he simply sought to help students find their way.

“Students have just always been my heart. They still are,” said Burnett. “Helping them to do the next right thing – to make the next decision.”

As he continues to lead and mentor others, even in his retirement, Burnett said he draws inspiration in the spirit of kindness and unity he witnessed at Tech. 

“We're living in a time right now where there's such a division along racial and socioeconomic lines, but [Tech] seemed to be a community where anybody could fit in,” said Burnett. “It's an environment where anyone can thrive … It made a permanent stamp on my heart that we should always be trying to get people here because they can fit in – no matter who they are, no matter where they come from.”

Burnett said the legacy of Tech in his own life is one of “no longer being an outsider.”

“I felt like immediately I was on the inside and that I was being taken care of … that things were good and I could make it,” he added. “That’s the way I feel not only about Tech, but I feel that way about Cookeville.”

Burnett concluded by thanking the administration, faculty, staff and students for “allowing me the honor of serving my university for so many wonderful years.”

Listen to Burnett’s full “College Town Talk” interview on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Pandora and other platforms.