UCI adds Burch to staff
Kevin Burch, the 2012 American Volleyball Coaches’ Assn. Division III National Assistant Coach of the Year at Springfield College, has been named assistant men’s volleyball coach at UC Irvine.
Burch helped Springfield to the inaugural Division III national championship and a record-setting 33-5 mark. With Burch’s assistance, the Pride finished the year with a .381 hitting percentage, the best in the nation.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to join this special program,” said Burch, a captain on the 2008 Orange Coast College men’s volleyball team. “UC Irvine has everything — the location, the people, the values, plus elite volleyball. Add top-ranked academics and UCI is a perfect place for an athlete to compete.”
He started his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Ohio State in 2011, the year the Buckeyes captured their first men’s volleyball national title. Burch began the school year as the women’s head coach at Columbus State in 2010.
He joins UCI’s first-year head coach David Kniffin who was named the AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2011 while with the Anteaters. Burch has been mentored by some of the most successful coaches in the country, serving under 2012 AVCA Division III National Coach of the Year Charlie Sullivan at Springfield and 2011 AVCA Division I-II National Coach of the Year Pete Hanson at Ohio State.
“Kevin has had a championship impact on every program he has been a part of and UC Irvine will benefit from his drive, passion and experiences,” Kniffin said. “Kevin’s work ethic and desire to be a great student of the game has made him a UC Irvine guy. We’re fortunate to have him on the team.”
Burch graduated from Ohio State with a degree in sports and leisure studies in 2011. Burch has family ties to UCI as his dad, David, was a member of the Anteaters track & field team from 1975-77 and was a member of the national championship team in 1976 as a triple jumper.
Burch joins fellow assistant Mark Presho on the staff of the reigning NCAA champions, who have three NCAA titles in the last six years.
— From staff reports