Shane Burcar is the current head

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

of the

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks men's basketball The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks men's basketball team represents Northern Arizona University, located in Flagstaff, Arizona, in NCAA Division I men's competition. The school's team has competed in the Big Sky Conference since 1970. The team's ...

team.

Coaching career

Burcar began his coaching in the high school ranks, highlighted by a 12-year tenure as the head boys basketball coach at

Mesa High School Mesa High School is a public high school in Mesa, Arizona, United States. Mesa High School currently accommodates grades 9–12 as part of Mesa Public Schools. Mesa High School is the oldest high school in Mesa, Arizona, and is home of the Jackr ...

, where he compiled a 277–110 overall record with seven regular-season regional titles, and an Arizona Division I state title in 2016. In 2018, he joined Jack Murphy's staff at Northern Arizona. The following season when Murphy left the Lumberjacks for an assistant coaching position at

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, Burcar stepped in as the interim head coach for the 2019–20 season. After guiding the team to a 16–14 record, Burcar was named the permanent head coach on March 25, 2020. Burcar served as NAU's interim head coach during the 2019–20 season and immediately led the Lumberjacks to their best campaign since 2014–15. The Lumberjacks finished 16-14 overall and 10–10 in conference play with both win totals serving as the program's most in five years. The 16 overall wins surpassed the program's combined total from the two previous seasons. Of 59 Division I programs that were led by new head coaches in 2019–20, NAU was in the top five in win improvement among programs that finished with a winning record as the 'Jacks went from 10 to 16 victories from 2018–19 to 2019–20. Nationally, the Lumberjacks' scoring offense rose from 330th to 157th (65.6 to 73.0) and they saw similar jumps of 100-plus spots in field goal percentage, three-point percentage, three-pointers per game, assists per game, and assist-to-turnover ratio from the year prior. His success led him to be a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award, presented annually to the top first-year coach in Division I college basketball.

Head coaching record

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burcar, Shane Living people American men's basketball coaches Basketball coaches from Michigan Northern Arizona Lumberjacks men's basketball coaches People from Hancock, Michigan Ottawa University alumni Year of birth missing (living people)