Bret Burchard joins the OUAZ men's basketball program after 10 years with the Phoenix Suns, serving in various roles, including video coordinator and player development assistant. Most recently, he was the head coach of their minor league affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns.Â
Burchard is no stranger to the NAIA. He played collegiately at Taylor University, where he was a part of two conference championship teams, two national tournament appearances, and three 20-win seasons. Following his graduation, he served as an assistant coach at his alma mater under NAIA Hall of Fame head coach Paul Patterson, who amassed over 730 wins while at Taylor and retired as the winningest college coach in the history of Indiana. Burchard's father was also an NAIA legend. Bob Burchard coached at NAIA powerhouse Columbia College for 31 seasons and recorded over 780 wins.
Since completing his time with the Suns, Burchard co-founded the mindset training company ChampionShift, helping athletes and coaches compete and lead with confidence, resilience, and humility. He is also the co-author of the book Catching Confetti: Developing the Mindset of a Champion.Â
In addition to his coaching responsibilities with OUAZ, Burchard will focus on mindset training for the team through the Catching Confetti program.Â
Bret and his wife, Tayler, reside in south Phoenix with their dog, G.Â
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