STANFORD, Calif. – David Berkun has been elevated to assistant coach, as announced by the Anne and Tony Joseph Director of Men's Basketball Jerod Haase. Berkun enters his eighth season with the Stanford program and spent the previous four seasons managing the team's operations.
"David's hard work and dedication to this program are clearly evident to everyone within our department, and he has earned the opportunity to move into a new position as assistant coach," said Haase. "He brings a wealth of knowledge from his previous roles on our staff and has a passion for developing our student-athletes. I am thrilled for David to serve in this role on The Farm!"
Berkun's role on the coaching staff will focus primarily on overseeing a holistic player development approach, in addition to on-court coaching, scouting, game planning and recruiting. He has played a crucial role in the development of Stanford's current players and past alumni.
As the Director of Operations, Berkun oversaw team travel, scheduling of program activities, coordination of facilities, alumni development and assisted with scheduling. He was elevated to Assistant Athletic Director in 2021 and will continue to assist with the program's administration moving forward.
Previously, Berkun served as the Director of Player Development in 2018-19, becoming more involved with the scouting, recruiting and analytics, and joined Haase's staff during the 2016-17 season as a program assistant.
A native of Buffalo, New York, Berkun graduated from Canisius College in 2016 and earned his master's degree from Virginia Commonwealth University's Center for Sport Leadership in 2021.
Quotables
Brandon Angel – "David's dedication to individuals and the program is second to none. He invests in each player and genuinely cares about their success. Personally, he has been instrumental to my development at Stanford. David's work ethic is something I have the utmost respect for, and he is constantly finding ways to help me improve my game. He always finds a way to be in the gym whenever I need, gives honest feedback, and makes sure I am progressing toward the goals I have set on and off the court."
Oscar da Silva – "David is a person of incredible character and has formed long lasting positive relationships with many former players. These relationships and his work ethic have also helped him learn on the court, whether it be skill work and player development or game coaching. He has all the ingredients to become a great coach."
KZ Okpala – "David was always there for me on and off the court at my time at Stanford. He really helped me simplify my game to become a more efficient player. He is such a genuine person and great problem solver. He has now become a true friend of mine."
Maxime Raynaud – "David wants the best for all of us. He always tries to push himself and push us to get better through our effort instead of just using our natural gifts. He sets a standard of leading by example and is an absolute work beast. On a more personal aspect, he also plays the role of a mentor and second father for me here in the US and I will be forever thankful for that."