Bill Burnside, who spent seven seasons as assistant volleyball coach at John A. Logan College, was recently promoted to head coach and takes the reins from Fae Ragan who resigned that position in May after 22 years.

Jerry Halstead, athletic director at Logan, says promoting Burnside to head coach will provide a smooth transition in leadership to the volleyball program.

“Fae did a great job, and we’ll miss her, but we are fortunate to have Bill move into that role,” Halstead said. “He’s a capable, experienced coach and has been involved in every aspect of Logan’s volleyball program. He knows the players and the system, and we expect him to continue running the team in a first-class manner.”

In addition to his coaching experience at Logan, Burnside served as head volleyball coach at Lambuth University in Jackson, Tenn., for four years. He has also coached men’s club teams, worked at collegiate volleyball camps, and earned a USA Volleyball CAP Level II Coaching Certification.

Burnside says he is excited about being the head coach.

“Logan is where I want to work, and this is the job I want to do,” he said. “It’s a good fit for me and my family and I’m really happy to have this opportunity. Logan has a strong volleyball tradition, and I’m looking forward to building on it.”

A native of Lewes, Del., Burnside attended the University of Delaware where he played on the university’s club volleyball team for three years and earned a bachelor’s degree in history in 1991. He has a master’s degree in physical education from Southern Illinois University, and along with his coaching duties, he works as an academic advisor at the College.

He and his wife, Penny, reside in Makanda and have one daughter, Kara Leann.