NIU names Rashon Burno as men’s basketball coach

NIU hired Arizona State associate head coach Rashon Bruno as its head coach, the school announced on Saturday.

“I am extremely excited about this opportunity,” Bruno said in a statement. “Going through the process and having a chance to meet with Sean (Frazier), (Senior Associate Athletic Director and Men’s Basketball Sport AD) Courtney (Vinson), President Freeman and the Board of Trustees made it that much more desirable for me. I believe I am aligned with what their vision is for the future, not only for men’s basketball but also for the entire student body. I was very impressed with the overall vision and that made it easy for me to want to be at NIU.”

Burno will be formally introduced at a virtual press conference on Monday.

“What a great day for NIU Men’s Basketball,” said Frazier. “When we started this process, it was about the right fit and matching up with our core values at NIU. Rashon Burno brings significant experience within Illinois, Chicagoland and other basketball powerhouse regions. This is vital in growing the NIU basketball brand.”

Burno has been the top assistant with the Sun Devils since 2016 after joining the staff in 2015. He was at Florida from 2012-2015. He’s also coached at Towson State, Manhattan College and Nebraska.

Burno takes over for interim coach Lamar Chapman, who was named to the position on Jan. 3 after the team fired 10-year head coach Mark Montgomery.

The school fired Montgomery after a 1-7 start to the year and losing their first three MAC games. The Huskies went 2-9 under Chapman and ended the season with a 79-74 win on Friday against Central Michigan. The win snapped a six-game losing streak.

Burno is also a former point guard at DePaul. He coached the Gators’ backcourt during the team’s 2013-14 season, in which the school posted a 30-game win streak and the SEC’s first 18-0 season.

His first coaching job was at Marmion Academy from 2007-2010.

In six seasons at Arizona State, Burno has helped the Sun Devils to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances as ASU played in the First Four in 2018 and the First Round in 2019. Arizona State had 20 wins and was on track for its third-straight tournament appearance in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season. Three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances would have been a first for the Sun Devils in 60 seasons.

During Burno’s time in Tempe, the Sun Devils matched the highest ranking in program history as they ascended to number three in the AP Poll for two consecutive weeks in December 2017. Arizona State won 20 games in 2017-18, 23 games in 2018-19 and 20 games in 2019-20, marking just the third time in program history that the Sun Devils posted three-straight 20-win seasons.

As a player, Burno earned 58 starts in four seasons at DePaul (1998-2002), helping the Blue Demons to the NCAA Tournament in 2001 and the NIT in 2000. He was named to the 2001 Conference USA All-Tournament Team and still ranks third in DePaul history in steals (201) and sixth in assists (439).

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