Lake County Gazette

Lake Forest Community High School District 115 has announced the appointment of Mark Burke as the new head coach for the Lake Forest High School varsity girls basketball team.

Burke, who brings over three decades of coaching experience, will lead the varsity girls basketball team at Lake Forest High School. A former player and team captain at Moravian College, he has held various coaching and leadership positions at institutions such as Millersville University, Elmhurst College, Woodlands Academy, and Chestnut Hill Academy. His expertise spans program management, NCAA compliance, and athlete development. Recently, Burke managed winter basketball programs for Lake Forest Parks and Recreation and coached in the LFHS Girls Basketball Feeder Program. He holds a master’s degree in sports management and a USA Gold Medal Basketball Coaching License. According to a news release by Lake Forest High School (LFHS), he will begin preparations for the 2025 season.

"I am incredibly grateful, honored, and excited to join an institution with such strong academic and athletic traditions as Lake Forest High School," said Burke. "I look forward to the journey ahead and am eager to collaborate with the members of the girls' basketball program to create a positive experience for everyone involved and to make all constituents in the Lake Forest High School community proud of the program."

According to LFHS, its athletics department aims to promote participation, personal growth, and excellence by balancing student-athletes’ academic and athletic development. The program focuses on building confidence, leadership, teamwork, and sportsmanship while encouraging broad involvement, school spirit, and community unity. It emphasizes effort rewards, discipline practice benefits, physical skills development for future opportunities, and fostering lifelong appreciation for physical activity.

Lake Forest Community High School District 115 serves around 1,500 students from Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, and Knollwood in grades 9–12. The district provides diverse academic programs including advanced placement courses, specialized electives alongside extracurricular activities like athletics and performing arts. Feeder schools include Deer Path Middle School, Lake Bluff Middle School among others.