Michael Burch
Head Volleyball Coach

An accomplished head coach at the Division II level, Michael Burch took over the reigns of the Highlander volleyball program in 2003.

In his first season at Radford, Burch took a very young team that was hampered by injuries and steadily improved its performance. RU’s 4-27 record was not indicitive of how the Highlanders were playing at the end of the season.

Burch became the eighth head coach in Radford history, succeeding Chad Callihan. He came to Radford following a three-year stint as the head coach at West Virginia Wesleyan College.

While at West Virginia Wesleyan, Burch helped re-establish the volleyball program with solid recruiting and academic standards, finishing with a 39-37 overall record and 29-13 in the Division II West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. In just his second season at the helm, he led the Bobcats to a third place regular season and tournament finish, their best finish in six seasons. During his tenure, nine of his players have been named all-WVIAC, including four first-teamers. He has also had at least one player on the all-freshman team each season, including the 2002 Freshman of the Year.

Academics has also been a strong suit for Burch, as his WVWC team’s GPA improved in each of his three seasons. His 2002 squad finished first in NCAA Division II with a team GPA of 3.59. They were third in 2001 and fifth in 2000. They also had the distinction of being the highest scholastic team in the WVIAC the past two years.

Before landing the head job at WVWC, he was the first assistant at Texas Women’s University for two seasons (1998-1999). While at TWU, he was the recruiting coordinator, offensive coordinator and setter coach. Prior to TWU, he spent his first three years of collegiate coaching as an assistant at his alma mater, Virginia Tech, from 1996-1998.

Burch also coached at the club level prior to his hire at West Virginia Wesleyan, which includes a local stint for the New River Valley Volleyball Club from 1994 to 1998, where he was the head coach for the 15 elite and 16’s traveling squad. He also spent time with the North Dallas Juniors Volleyball Association (1998-2000) and as a head coach and player for the Virginia Tech Men’s Club Team.

Burch graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in 1994 and a masters in 1996.