After leading the team for eight seasons, Burton Uwarow has stepped down from his role as the Bruins head men's basketball coach.
Uwarow and his wife Laura will transition to West Florida Baptist Academy in Milton, Florida where Uwarow will serve as the school's athletic director and Laura will teach in the elementary school.
"As a BJU Faculty/Staff child who grew up within these gates, most of my formative memories and experiences have occurred here," said Coach Uwarow. "It has been my honor and privilege to lead the young men in my basketball program in competition inside the Davis Field House, in missions in the far away land of Africa, or in conversations around our dinner table at my home."
He continued saying, "a program is nothing without its players. I am not their whole life but they have been mine. Many have gone on to full time ministry and many are coaches now themselves using the tools they learned here to impact the next generation. We are in a time and a place where athletes are criticized. They have responded with grace when grace was not shown or demonstrated to them. Our program has been built on the acronym of G.R.A.C.E., and I hope that the principles they learned here remain present in their life. As the founder said, 'anything good here, God did it.'"
Uwarow joined the Bruins in April of 2017 as the second head coach in program history. In his first year as head coach, he led the Bruins to an astounding 22-11 record to lead them to their second NCCAA DII national tournament and first NCCAA DII national championship game in program history.
In his eight seasons with the Bruins, Uwarow led the team to five winning seasons and four regional championship titles. Each regional title was paired with a South Region Coach of Year honor for Uwarow. Following the 2023-2024 season, he was named the NCCAA DII National Coach of the Year, the only Bruins basketball coach to ever receive that honor.
With Uwarow at the helm, the Bruins held a 114-90 overall record with an impressive 68-22 record against NCCAA opponents.
In his eight seasons at BJU, he saw 13 NCCAA Scholar-Athletes, 19 NCCAA DII South All-Region players, five NCCAA DII Region All-Freshman team players, one NCCAA DII South Region Freshman of the Year, five NCCAA DII South Region Players of the Year, and nine NCCAA DII All-American players.
"I would like to thank my assistant, Tony Miller, for all he has done to serve and support my vision for the program over these last eight years," said Uwarow. "I owe my philosophy of Christian athletics to Keith Champion. One of the great honors of my career is having him on my staff. In addition, Josiah Wiggins, Alex Kipp, John Clay, John Baron, Caleb Daniel, and Samuel Daniel have enriched my life and modeled servant leadership in an unprecedented manner."
"Coach Uwarow's winning record should definitely be highlighted," Assistant Coach Tony Miller said, "but it's the thousands of hours off the court where he's made the greatest spiritual impact in the lives of so many young men."
Former Bruin Kenney Garrick Jr. praises Coach Uwarow's leadership and guidance during his collegiate career saying, "from the moment Coach U and I met, I felt embraced and taken in as one of his own. From our on-court moments, road trips, and worshiping together, he has been nothing but incredible. The love that he has shown to me and my family will always be cherished. He has helped make me into the man I am today, and I can honestly say I wouldn't be who I am without his guidance and leadership."
Another former player Eli Cupples also shared Coach Uwarow's impact on his life saying, "Coach had an impact on me in ways much deeper than just between the lines. He modeled how to be a Christian and showed me how to be a better man, leader, and husband."
BJU is NCCAA DII member featuring 13 varsity programs and nearly 200 student-athletes.