BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Ross Bjork announced Tuesday the hiring of Ron Burchett as full-time head women's golf coach at Western Kentucky University.

Burchett has been on the Lady Topper golf staff for the past six seasons, starting on a volunteer basis for two seasons before becoming an assistant coach in 2006-07. After three years as an assistant coach, Burchett took the reins of the program as part-time head coach in February 2009, after Chuck Eison stepped down as head coach and became an assistant.

"This is a dream job for me," Burchett said. "I am honored to be part of a great university with such a rich history in athletics, to work with great student-athletes and the WKU athletics staff and to work beside Phillip Hatchett. As a golf coach, I am lucky to be in a community where golf is so popular. Bowling Green has everything to offer. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the women's program for the past few years, and I am excited about the opportunities I now have to take our WKU Lady Topper program to another level."

“Ron has performed admirably while previously leading our women’s golf program under limited resources, and after interviewing a number of candidates there is no doubt he is the right person to lead the program into the future,” Bjork said. “We have made a commitment to elevate our men’s and women’s golf programs by hiring full-time coaches, and I have total confidence in Ron’s ability to make a significant impact on our women’s program. His knowledge of our program and student-athletes coupled with his experience in the community will enable this to be a seamless transition. The best days for WKU golf lay ahead.”

In his three seasons as an assistant coach at WKU, Burchett helped guide the Lady Toppers to seven top-five finishes, highlighted by victories at Eastern Kentucky and Butler.

Burchett piloted the Lady Toppers to three third-place finishes as head coach in 2009-10. Under Burchett's tutelage, Emily Wolff had the low individual score at the Murray State Invitational on September 14-15, 2009, helping the Lady Toppers to third place in the standings.

“We attracted an impressive group of candidates for this position,” said Pam Herriford, WKU Associate Athletics Director and Chair of the Golf Search Committee. “We knew that making the women's golf head coaching position a full-time appointment would bring a talented pool of applicants. As we went through the interview process, we knew that Ron's experience with the WKU program as an assistant coach and part-time head coach, coupled with his familiarity with golf in south-central Kentucky made him the ideal candidate to lead the Lady Topper golf program into the future on a full-time basis."

A Glasgow, Ky., native, Burchett attended WKU from 1990-94 and currently assists in the coordination of golf clinics and camps for women and juniors in the area. Burchett himself is an outstanding golfer as well, as he won the 45th annual Par-Makers championship in Bowling Green in 2008.