KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Small College Basketball (SCB) is pleased to announce the inaugural recipient of the SCB Harry Statham Coach of Character award will be presented to Bob Burchard, former legendary men’s basketball coach and athletic Director at Columbia College (Mo.).

 

Burchard will be awarded with the honor at the Small College Basketball National Awards Show on Saturday, May 11 at the Starlight Ballroom inside the Crowne Plaza hotel in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

 

This event is open to the public and tickets are $50. All tickets may be purchased at the door and will include food and drinks at the social immediately following the National Awards Show.

 

“Bob Burchard quickly built the basketball program at Columbia College into a conference contender and maintained a consistent position in the NAIA national poll,” said Harry Statam. “He built their program with quality student-athletes who played with intensity and class. He coached with integrity and character and we had many intense and hard fought battles but, before and after the games, we shook hands and made sure our athletes competed with honor and respect. I think Bob made a very positive impact on the NAIA, the American Midwest Conference, Columbia College and his players. He is a Coach of Impact and a natural for this award.”

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The purpose of the Harry Statham Coach of Impact Award is to honor a Coach that has used the power of the coaching platform to make a positive impact on players, coaches and others. The Coach will be a person of high character and integrity who has served as an excellent role model, and who has deeply impacted the lives of others.

 

Burchard, whose career began at Columbia College in 1988, is a member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, the NAIA Hall of Fame and is the only NAIA basketball coach to serve on the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Board of Directors. Under his guidance, the men's basketball team has registered a 781-261, good for a .749 winning percentage.

 

He ranked No. 1 among all active NAIA men's coaches in wins and was 33rd all-time among all college basketball coaches in that category at the time of his retirement. The Cougars reached the NAIA National Tournament 22 times during Burchard's tenure as coach including a run to the NAIA National Championship game in 2009.

In 2010, Burchard received one of the NABC's highest awards, the Guardians of the Game Leadership Pillar Award. The goal of that program is 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.

The Cougar Athletic Department has also prospered with Burchard at the helm. The program has grown from five sports in 2011 to 18 sports currently. It also took home the American Midwest Conference President's Cup in each of the last two seasons as the top-performing athletic department in the conference. The program also recently registered its best showing in the NAIA Learfield Director's Cup standings in 2018, finishing 12th. As Burchard concludes his service to the college, a national search for his replacement will begin soon.

 

“It is truly an honor to be recognized as the inaugural recipient of the Harry Statham Coach of Impact Award! said coach Burchard. “Coach Statham set the standard for all coaches and educators to emulate. His consistency, attention to detail, and character led his teams to unparalleled success on the court, in the classroom, and in life. I am forever grateful and humbled to be recognized as a coach who loved the game and the students who pursued their dreams on the court!”

 

The annual winner of the Harry Statham Coach of Impact Award must have coached at the small college level for a majority of his career, and must have a high degree of personal character and integrity. The Coach may be a current or former Coach, but we'll honor a living Coach annually.

 

Harry Statham is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Basketball Hall of Fame. His 1,122 wins during his 52 seasons at McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois, are the most by any men's or women's basketball head coach at a four-year college or university in the United States. The only other coaches at a four-year institution with 1,000 or more wins are Pat Summitt, Danny Miles, Mike Krzyzewski, Herb Magee, Tara VanDerveer, Geno Auriemma and Sylvia Hatchell.​

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In the future to nominate a candidate for the award, please send detailed information about the Coach, along with examples of how the Coach has impacted the lives of others, to harrystathamaward@gmail.com.

 

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