JODI PEZEK BURNS –  Interim Head Coach

            Jodi Pezek Burns, a former All-Region volleyball star and head coach at Clarion, returns to lead the Golden Eagles as the interim head coach in 2006.

            “I’m excited to be back at my alma mater coaching again,” Burns, who coached Clarion from 1995-98, said. “This University is a special place for me. I take pride in the fact that I played, coached and earned my degree at Clarion.”

            Burns is one of only five coaches in school history to guide the Golden Eagles to a 20-win season leading Clarion to a 20-19 overall record and a 7-3 PSAC-West mark in 1997.

            A 1991 Clarion graduate with a degree in Elementary Education, Jodi was a four-year starter for the Golden Eagles at middle hitter and played on four 20-win teams. She was a two-time AVCA Atlantic Region selection (’89, ’90) and finished her career with 1,444 kills, 803 blocks, 786 digs and 171 service aces. At the time of her graduation, she ranked first in school history in kills and blocks, second in digs and third in service aces. She still holds the school record for blocks and is second in kills. Her 522 kills as a senior was then a school record, and her 351 blocks as a junior is the all-time mark at Clarion. The Golden Eagles won the PSAC titles in 1988, was second in 1989 and third in 1990 while going a combined 99-52 when Burns was a player.

            A native of North Huntingdon, Pa., Burns is a 1987 graduate of Norwin High School where she helped lead the Knights to PIAA titles as a sophomore and senior and WPIAL titles as sophomore and junior. She played at Norwin under legendary head coach Sheron Watson.

            She earned a Master’s in Student Affairs from IUP in 1998.     

            Jodi’s coaching career started in 1992 as the assistant men’s volleyball coach at Juniata before she returned to Clarion as the assistant’s women’s volleyball coach from 1992-94. She was also the head softball coach for the Golden Eagles from 1993-95, the head girls’ volleyball coach at North Clarion High School in 2003 and the head coach of the Junior Olympic Black Bandits team out of New Bethlehem in the Spring of 2006.         

            Burns resides in Shippenville with her husband Joe and their five children, daughters Karly, Ellie, Olivia and Korrin and son Jacob.