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 | Hometown:
Salinas, Kan.
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| High School:
Lampeter-Strasburg High School in Lampeter, Pa.
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| Last College:
Liberty University
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| Position:
Head Coach
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Michael Burcin (BUR-sin) was named the men's golf coach at Wisconsin on May 31, 2011, after seven years at the University of South Carolina. Burcin, who was recently named an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2011 Palmer Cup, has been an assistant for the men's golf program at South Carolina since the spring of 2005.
"Everyone Michael came in contact with was very impressed with how he handled himself," Alvarez said. "We liked his background and the fact that he was a very effective recruiter. He has a good plan for success and will make a strong impression on the golf community in Wisconsin. He has a tremendous opportunity coming up next week at the Palmer Cup and I know he is very anxious to get started at UW after that."
Burcin was named the 2010 Golf Coaches Association of America's Jan Strickland Assistant Coach of the Year. In April, he was selected to serve as an assistant at the 2011 Palmer Cup, which takes place June 9-11 at the Stanwich Club in Greenwich, Conn. The Palmer Cup is a Ryder Cup-style competition for teams of collegiate golfers from the United States and Europe which square off in a three-day match play event.
"My family and I are excited to come to Madison," Burcin said. "Wisconsin is certainly a sleeping giant and I am looking forward to connecting with the golf community in the city and around the state. My No. 1 priority is to recruit the state hard and keep the best players within the borders. If you are able to do that, it usually leads to big things.
"My goal is to develop a program that competes at a high level in the Big Ten Conference. If you are able to do that, because of the quality of the conference, you set yourself up to be a player on the national scene."
In Burcin's time on the men's staff, South Carolina was a major player on the national scene. The Gamecocks made six-straight NCAA regional appearances (2005-10), including winning the school's first NCAA regional title in 2007. They advanced to the NCAA championship three times in Burcin's seven seasons, with their top finish being a share of 11th place in 2007. In 2008-09, Burcin helped South Carolina win a school-record four tournament titles.
During Burcin's time at South Carolina, four Gamecocks earned All-America honors and seven earned All-SEC honors.
In addition to assisting coaches with day-to-day coaching duties, Burcin's primary role at South Carolina was to implement and coordinate a recruiting program conducive to winning championships. Burcin was also the men's golf liaison for the academic staff, and the team achieved at least a 3.3 grade point average in each semester and combined for a team-record 3.54 GPA in the fall of 2006.
Before going to South Carolina, Burcin spent seven years as a golf professional in Lancaster, Pa. His last stop in Pennsylvania involved developing an indoor teaching program at a retail golf store in Lancaster. While in Lancaster, Burcin kept an active playing schedule of section and chapter PGA events.
Originally from Salina, Kan., Burcin graduated from Lampeter-Strasburg High School in Lampeter, Pa., where he was a 10-time letterwinner in three sports. Burcin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Liberty University in 2009.
A member of the Golf Coaches Association of America, Burcin is married to Dr. Michelle Burcin, who was a standout swimmer at the University of Cincinnati. The couple recently gave birth to their first child, daughter Josie.
