Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) has announced the hiring of new women’s basketball Assistant Coach Chris Burks. He comes to OLLU after a two-year stint as a graduate assistant for the University of Jamestown women’s basketball team.
Head Coach Tanya Ray commented, “I am thrilled to have Chris join us here at OLLU. Those who have worked with Chris in the past all talked about his passion for coaching, his strong work ethic and the energy he brought on a daily basis. Those qualities will be a welcomed addition as we try to continue to build on the foundation of success that has been laid here. His experience at both the NCAA and NAIA levels will be a huge benefit for our program, and I am excited to have him on board to start this journey. “
Burks became a graduate assistant at Jamestown, an NAIA school in North Dakota, in July 2020. While there, the team posted a 15-11 overall record and 12-10 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) in 2020-2021, finishing as quarterfinalists in the postseason. The team posted an overall 18-13 record in 2021-2022 and 11-11 in the conference. They closed out their season as quarterfinalists in the conference tournament.
His duties at Jamestown included signing 28 student-athletes and contributing to the development of the teams’ academic success. He spearheaded the team fundraising program, which garnered more than $60,000. He raised funds through the E-Team sponsor, AAU tournaments, and high school basketball season games. Burks was also the team’s Adidas rep and was responsible for creating and marketing all Jamestown social media accounts. His other contributions at Jamestown include: developing and organizing the junior varsity game schedule, team travel plans for away games, creating and leading multiple community service projects, leading the team’s summer camps, managing and executing game film breakdowns using Synergy and successfully leading the junior varsity team as head coach.
Before Jamestown, Burks was the assistant coach at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kan., for three years. Duties and highlights at Southwestern, also an NAIA university, included recruiting, growing the win percentage by 25 percent, developing and leading analytic meetings using PER and Lineup Efficiency to provide evidence to game management decisions and player evaluations, leading skill workouts, directing all aspects of scouting, creating team bonding exercises, organizing and conducting strength and conditioning program, organizing class and campus work schedules.
Burks spent one year as an assistant coach at NCAA D3 Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas. During his time there, he helped guide the Mountaineers to winning seven of their last 11 games to qualify for the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) championship tournament. After eliminating Southwestern University (Georgetown, Texas) in the first round, the team fell to Trinity University (San Antonio) to end their season. Burks managed all aspects of recruiting at Schreiner, directed defensive team strategies, led warmups before practices and games, demonstrated bench management during games to provide feedback to players and keep players mentally engaged and mentored and led post players during practices to increase skill development.
Burks collegiate playing career included seasons with NCAA Division I Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, Ala., and NAIA Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas, before finishing at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. While at UMHB in Belton, Burks was part of the team’s national championship run and helped the team to a 27-6 record and a No. 2 ranking in the final NCAA Division II national poll.
“Most of all, I am ecstatic to join the OLLU family,” Burks said. “This is a great opportunity to continue my coaching journey with an amazing historic women’s basketball program. I am looking forward to joining Tanya Ray in leading the women’s basketball program. San Antonio is a special place to be, and this program is already running with success. It is a great time to jump right in with this current roster, build relationships and maintain this program’s success.”
A native of Dallas, Burks earned a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management with a minor in marketing at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas. He received a Master of Science in Leadership at Jamestown.
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