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MBCA GARY FILBERT AWARD

2023 WINNER IS BOB SUNDVOLD!

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The Missouri Basketball Coaches Association (MBCA) annually honors the Richard Fairchild Coaches of the Year. These individuals represent the Associations outstanding coaches in each of the MSHSAA five classifications. The award is named to honor Richard Fairchild, a 1990 MBCA Hall of Fame selection who coached 28 years, winning 463 games, a state title, and making 5 appearances at the Show-Me Showdown.

PAST Winners

Cheryl Burnett

2022 (AWARDED) & 2020 (SELECTED)

Al Waller

2019

Mark Fisher

2018

George Wilson

2017

Bob Burchard

2016

Gene Bess

2015

Larry Holley

2014

Dave Porter

2013

Denny Hunt

2012

Gary Filbert

2011

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What’s in it for me?

  • Liability insurance
  • Recruiting Showcase
  • Annual Player Honors
  • Hall of Fame
  • Mentor Programing
  • PROMOTING BASKETBALL IN THE STATE OF MISSOURI
LEARN MORE

MBCA GARY FILBERT AWARD

Coach Cheryl Burnett is best known in the sports world for her wildly successful, 15-year career at Missouri State University as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach.  During her tenure as head coach, the Lady Bears reached the NCAA Tournament 11 times and in 1992 and 2001 made it to the NCAA Division I Final Four. Her teams also won seven regular season conference titles, five league tournament titles, and played in the 2002 Women’s National Invitational Tournament. Coach Burnett has received multiple Coach of the Year Awards, been inducted into multiple Halls of Fame, and in 2015 was named a Sports Legend by the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

Coach Burnett graduated, where she played, from the University of Kansas in 1980 and had an opportunity to play overseas, but the coaching profession was calling.  After a stint on the University of Illinois staff, Coach Burnett started at Missouri State University (then Southwest Missouri State University) as an assistant coach for Valerie Goodwin-Colbert and was hooked from day one.  After taking over the program in 1987, Coach Burnett worked diligently to increase the production of her team, and the commitment from the community.  Her first season averaged around 900 in the stands and during the 1992 season, the Lady Bears led the nation in attendance averaging close to 8,500 energetic fans.

Coach Burnett has been known to mentor multiple coaches throughout the country.  After her time at Missouri State, she spent four seasons at the University of Michigan before retiring and settling in the Springfield, Missouri area. 

MBCA GARY FILBERT AWARD

Al Waller grew up in Seneca, Kansas and played his high school basketball at St. Peter and Paul where he led the state of Kansas in scoring and was named all state his senior year.

He went on to play his college ball at St. Mary of the Plains College in Dodge City, Kansas where he started every game for four years and was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics in 1970 and later went on to earn his Master of Science in Educational Administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1975. He coached six years of high school ball, four at Bishop Hogan in Kansas City, Missouri and two at Branson, Missouri before moving on to College of the Ozarks in 1975. In those six years his teams won 104 games and advanced to the state tournament twice. Waller served for 38 years at College of the Ozarks in a variety of roles before retiring in 2015. He was an Associate Professor in the Math Department (36 years), Head Men’s Basketball Coach (25 years), Athletic Director (26 Years), and Head Coach for Men’s and Women’s Cross Country in 2014. Waller also served as Co-Director of the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship for 16 years, playing a key role in bringing the event from Idaho to the Branson area in 2000, where it remained for eighteen seasons.

As head basketball coach at College of the Ozarks, Waller accumulated 458 wins, 12 conference championships, and six NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship appearances, including advancing to the Final 8 three times and National Runner-up in 2000.

Waller also served as President of the NAIA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Association in 1995-96 and was Commissioner of the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference for 17 years.

Known for his affable personality, ready smile, and love of sports, Coach Waller has acquired many accolades, including: NAIA Athletic Director of the Year (1998), Conference Coach of the Year (12 times), NAIA Athletics Administrator of the Year (1999), Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Inductee (2003), NAIA Hall of Fame Inductee (2004), and College of the Ozarks Sports Hall of Fame Inductee (2015). Al and his wife, Marty have been married for 48 years, have two sons, Matt and Chris (deceased), and 5 grandchildren.

MBCA GARY FILBERT AWARD

Mark Fisher began his coaching career Stanberry High School in 1981 and was there for five years before moving to Owensville for three. He then moved to Greenwood Laboratory School where he had immediate success over his 14-year tenure. He accumulated seven District Championships and 368 total wins. He was also the Blue and Gold Tournament Director for 14 years and was the Southwest Representative for the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association for several years. Coach Fisher was named the Springfield Public Schools Athletic Director in 2003 and remained in that position until 2015. During that time, Coach Fisher raised millions of dollars to enhance the facilities at all of the five high schools. He was also the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions Director, the most attended high school tournament in the nation. In July of 2015, Fisher became the Vice President and Director of Athletics at Drury University. In his short time at Drury, he has already left his mark by adding and enhancing each program under his leadership. He has added NCAA sports and non-NCAA sports for the student-athletes to participate and be involved in. In 2015, Fisher was inducted in the Springfield Area Sports Hall of Fame. Throughout his career, he has been a pillar for our association’s mission of promoting basketball in the state of Missouri. Fisher is married to his wife Debbie, and has three children, Treyvor, Ashley, and Ben. He also has four grandchildren, Kinley, Blakely, Graham, and Brooks.

MBCA GARY FILBERT AWARD

Watch George Wilson’s acceptance speech

George Wilson, a recent inductee into the NAIA Hall of Fame, was the women’s basketball coach for 16 years at College of the Ozarks, where he recorded 447 wins and 89 losses. In 2013, he reached the 1,000 in mark including both his high school and collegiate career. He was the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC) Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year ten times.

In 2013, his team won the “What’s Right in the Sport” award and the Buffalo Funds Champions of Character award. Wilson has won 13 MCAC women’s basketball regular season titles and 15 conference tournament titles. Prior to coaching to College of the Ozarks, Wilson coached high school boys basketball for 31 years. The College of the Ozarks women’s basketball team has been the NAIA National Championship runner-up four times.

MBCA GARY FILBERT AWARD

The highest honor given by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, the Gary Filbert Lifetime Achievement award this year will be presented to Bob Burchard, Columbia College. Formally an assistant under Filbert at Missouri Western, Burchard and Filbert always remained close.

Since his arrival at Columbia College, Bob Burchard has turned the Cougar basketball program into a perennial powerhouse in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Burchard has compiled a 719-241 (.749) record in 28 seasons at the helm, giving him the most in wins in program history. The Cougars have averaged more than 25 victories per season under his guidance advancing to the NAIA Men’s National Basketball Championship 20 times in his tenure.

Burchard has been named the American Midwest Conference (AMC) Coach of the Year nine times and among all active coaches in the NAIA, he ranks 5th in wins. During the NCAA Final Four in 2010.

Burchard received one of the National Basketball Coaches Association’s (NABC) highest awards, the Guardians of the Game Leadership Pillar Award. He also serves as Columbia College’s athletic director and has claimed AD of the Year honors for the AMC six times in his tenure and has a lifetime of experience promoting basketball in the Show-Me State.