Featured Hawks: Spotlight on Staff
July Featured Staff Spotlight: Rob Burke, Director of Athletics/Head Men's Basketball Coach
Every Monday through Thursday for the month of July, Chowan Athletics will spotlight select student-athletes and coaches in a series called Featured Hawks. This series highlights Hawks who exemplify excellence in the classroom, in competition, and within the Chowan community. Student-athletes were selected based on their academic achievement, athletic performance, leadership, character, and overall standing with the university. Coaches have the opportunity to share their coaching journey, discuss their programs, and provide insight about their vision for the future.
Fans will learn more about the individual experiences and stories of our student-athletes and coaches at Chowan. Beginning in August, Fridays will transition to Feature Fridays, continuing the spotlight series by highlighting one individual throughout the school year each week.
If you would like to be a part of the Featured Hawks as a current or former student-athlete or staff member, email gocuhawks@chowan.edu today!
July 2nd, 2026
Rob Burke just completed his fifth season as the Hawks head men's basketball coach. In addition to his head coaching duties, Burke was elevated to the Director of Athletics position in April of this year. Burke and his band of Hawks are coming off an amazing season run that saw his team in the Conference Carolinas championship title game. In his five seasons as head coach, Burke has cobbled together 78 career wins, including three seasons with 18 or more season wins. He has made a name for himself in the basketball arena that has taken his talents worldwide, both as an international player and coach. Burke's career has seen him coach at all levels of basketball, from the pro ranks to the junior college ranks, including stops at all three NCAA divisional ranks.
Burke is no stranger to Chowan University. As a student-athlete at Chowan from 1995-99, Burke played for his father, legendary head coach Bob Burke, and remains ranked among the program's top-10 in made three-point field goals, assists, and points during the Division III era. Burke graduated from Chowan in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in Sport Management and a minor in Business Administration.
Your history with Chowan is very unique and goes back further than most. Tell us about that.
My mom and dad moved here when I was two years old. I grew up on this campus. The first place we lived was in the bottom of Parker Hall in one of the apartments. We moved to Main Street until I was 13 years old and then my parents bought a house on Forest Circle here in town.
What is it like to coach on the same floor your dad coached and experienced so much success?
I feel very blessed. I put a lot of pressure on myself to be successful. When I was coaching at Spartanburg Methodist, my dad moved in with me and he helped me coach. I got to see from a different perspective the work he did with my team. I really began to understand how good he actually was as a coach, and it was at that moment, I knew I was not probably going to get to that level. So, from that standpoint, I just put a lot of pressure on being successful from just being myself as a coach.
What does it mean for a student to come to Chowan University, a small, D2 liberal arts college in a rural area of North Carolina?
I think that the best thing about being a student at Chowan is creating these meaningful relationships. It means connectivity and a lot of touch points from professors, to classmates, to staff members. I think anyone can come here and have a great experience because it really is about who you are with and who you are going through these life experiences with.
Why Chowan?
You can come to Chowan (as a student), get immersed in the environment, and in the culture, and you can prosper. Anyone can come to Chowan, regardless of your support system or your recruiting accolades, and experience a ton of success here. It really is about what you can make of it. Chowan offers everyone the opportunity to create meaningful relationships whether it's with teammates, classmates, professors, or employees. That is what makes this place so special and so unique."
I want people to have the same experience I had here as a student-athlete. I want our student-athletes to look back on their times here and really appreciate it. We need everyone here to have a great experience. We are all planting seeds here. The people that work here love Chowan and we are all passionate about this place and pouring into the students here. I see it from so many people on this campus. This kind of passion is what makes us special, and what separates Chowan from other places.
What's the best meal in the cafe?
Most people would say fried chicken Wednesday, but I'm the baked chicken option guy. I like the baked chicken with a scoop of rice and if Eric is cooking that day, I will top that off with greens.
