Bio

Bob Burchard served the men’s basketball coach at Columbia College (Mo.) from 1988-2019 at the school’s Athletics Director from 1998-2019.

Upon his arrival at Columbia, Burchard turned the Cougars men’s basketball program into a perennial powerhouse in the NAIA. Burchard coached for 31 seasons at CC compiling a 788-269 record, the most wins in program history.

“When coach [Burchard] spoke, everyone listened because of his incredible amount of knowledge and his love for all the student athletes he represented both at Columbia College and the AMC,” said Kevin Jenkins, former Lyon basketball coach and current Director of Athletics. “Coach {Burchard] always had time to listen and lend a helping hand to anyone who asked. He made it a point to get to know you personally and he also provided support to help those around him succeed.”

Coach Burchard and the CC men’s basketball program advanced to the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Tournament 22 times in his tenure. Additionally, Burchard has been named the AMC Coach of the Year 12 times.

The Cougars finished the 2012-13 regular-season undefeated and achieved the program’s first-ever No. 1 national ranking. The Cougars advanced to the NAIA National Tournament Quarterfinals, while setting a new school record with 35 wins.

After winning the 2009 AMC Tournament and advancing all the way to the NAIA national championship game, Burchard received one of the National Basketball Coaches’ Association’s (NABC) highest awards, the Guardians of the Game Leadership Pillar Award. This award is a national awareness and education program of the NABC with the goal of the program to focus attention on the positive aspects of basketball and the role coaches play in the lives of student-athletes, in addition to the contributions coaches make to their communities. The Guardians of the Game program emphasizes the four core values of advocacy, leadership, service and education.

As an Athletics Director, Burchard claimed AMC AD of the Year seven times. He was one of the key figures in bringing the NAIA Softball National Tournament (four times) and the NAIA Women’s Volleyball National Championship (2006 and 2007) to Columbia. The Cougars Athletic Department prospered with Burchard at the helm. Burchard helped grow the department from five sports to 18 sports at the time of his departure. The department also took home the AMC Presidents’ Cup the last three season of his tenure and achieved its best finish in the NAIA Learfield Directors’ Cup standings in 2018, finishing 12th.

“The thing that set Bob apart from the rest was his leadership and ability to bring vision to life,” said Wendy Spratt, Columbia College Softball Coach. “When he began at Columbia College, there were only five sports and when he left there were 18. Each sport that he added was extremely successful and eventually led to several Presidents’ Cup awards.”

Shortly after his retirement, the AMC announced the renaming of the Conference’s annual Athletics Director of the Year award after Burchard.

In October 2012, Columbia College, along with alumni, colleagues, former athletes and friends joined together to establish the Bob Burchard Celebration of Excellence Scholarship. The Scholarship provides support for student-athletes and the Department of Athletics at Columbia College.