University of Nebraska men’s basketball coach Tim Miles announced Friday the hiring of Rashon Burno as an assistant coach for the Husker program. Burno comes to Nebraska after spending the past three seasons at the University of Florida under Billy Donovan, who was named the head coach of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder last month.
Nebraska Coach Tim Miles said Burno’s coaching ability and recruiting acumen made him an ideal candidate for the opening on the Husker coaching staff.
“Rashon will be a tremendous addition to our already strong coaching staff,” Miles said. “He is a high-level recruiter and a smart coach. As a former point guard, he will really help out working with our guard play. He is a connector with all people and a high-energy guy. He worked with an elite-level program with Coach Donovan at Florida and brings great experience at the NCAA Tournament, including a Final Four appearance two years ago. Rashon also brings a life story that our players can relate to and that they can learn from.”
During his stint at Florida, Burno was part of two Southeastern Conference championship teams while the Gators reached the NCAA Elite Eight in both 2013 and 2014, while advancing to the Final Four in 2014. In three years with Burno at Florida, the Gators posted an impressive 81-28 record (.743).
“Rashon is an outstanding coach, teacher and recruiter,” Donovan said. “Nebraska is getting an even better person. I will always be thankful for my time with Rashon, and I know he will be a great asset to Nebraska basketball.”
A former point guard at DePaul, Burno worked with the Florida backcourt players, coaching three Gators to All-SEC honors (Kenny Boynton, Mike Rosario and Scottie Wilbekin) in his tenure. Wilbekin became the first Gator guard to earn SEC Player of the Year in 2014.
In Florida’s historic 2013-14 season, the Gators posted a 30-game winning streak that included the SEC’s first-ever 18-0 regular season, capped with the fourth SEC Tournament title in school history. In 2013-14, UF compiled an unblemished 10-0 record in games Burno served as the scout coach, including an early season win against Kansas, a sweep of Alabama, conference wins over LSU and Ole Miss and the NCAA Tournament victory against Albany. UF’s win over Kansas kicked off Florida’s program-record 30-game winning streak.
The Gators also posted an 11-1 record in 2012-13 when Burno handled the opponent scout, including a 5-0 record in SEC regular-season play and an NCAA Tournament victory over Northwestern State. Florida went 29-8, including a 14-4 record in the SEC, during the 2012-13 season, losing in the Elite Eight to Michigan.
As an assistant coach at Manhattan College, Burno helped the Jaspers to a 21-13 record in 2011-12 – the team’s first season under head coach Steve Masiello. The Jaspers added a postseason win in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament to post just the 11th 20-win season in the 106-year history of the program while capping a massive 15-win turnaround for a team that went 6-25 in 2010-11.
Burno, a three-year team captain at DePaul who played for the Blue Demons from 1998 to 2002, reunited with his former head coach, Pat Kennedy, as an assistant coach at Towson University in 2010-11. Burno began his coaching career as head coach at Marmion Academy in the Chicago suburbs from 2007 to 2010, while also serving as an economics and physical education teacher.
During his playing career at DePaul, Burno started 58 games and helped the Blue Demons to two postseason appearances, advancing to the 2001 NCAA Tournament and the 2000 National Invitational Tournament. He finished his career ranked third in DePaul history with 201 steals and was named to the 2001 Conference USA All-Tournament Team.
As a high school player, Burno helped anchor back-to-back national championship runs in 1996 and 1997 at St. Anthony’s High School in Jersey City, N.J., under Hall of Fame head coach Bob Hurley.
Burno and his wife, Ellen, have three children, Micah, Rashon and Braxton.
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