By David Kehrli
Posted Apr 10, 2020 at 6:14 PM
Less than nine months after Ryan Bernardi was named The Burlington School boys’ basketball coach, the 22-year-old has added another title.
Bernardi was announced as the Spartans athletics director on Friday.
“We want to be a program that competes for state championships in every sport,” Bernardi said of his vision. “We also want to be a program that, for athletes that want it, can pursue getting college scholarships through athletics.”
Bernardi’s first basketball season leading the Spartans culminated with a 25-11 record and an independent schools association Class 1-A state runner-up finish in February, following the capturing of Mid-Carolina Conference regular-season and tournament titles.
“After a successful season as our boys’ basketball coach, Ryan brings enthusiasm and passion to the table as our next athletics director,” said Ronnie Wall, head of school at The Burlington School. “I believe his youthful energy will help carry on the winning tradition we have built here at TBS.”
Bernardi was hired in July after coaching the Burlington Christian Academy boys’ basketball team for one season.
“I’m just really grateful to Mr. Wall, the trust he’s put in me,” Bernardi said, “the trust he had in me last year to hire me as the basketball coach. It means a lot. It’s a great honor.”
Rick Frampton, who coaches The Burlington School’s boys’ and girls’ soccer teams, has been named assistant athletics director. He guided the Spartans girls to a 2019 state championship and has experience as an athletics director at several previous schools.
“He will be an invaluable resource to me, being this is my first time being an athletics director,” Bernardi said. ”... I’ll really lean on him for advice, especially in the beginning.”
Bernardi succeeds Will Roberson, who held the position of athletics director for the past two years. Roberson was The Burlington School boys’ basketball coach for the 2018-19 season and spent five seasons prior as an assistant.
Roberson is headed to Elon where he will serve in the office of university advancement as the assistant director of parent engagement, beginning later this month. His final day at The Burlington School is April 17.
“I think it will be much more normal hour-wise,” Roberson said. “There will be some late nights and weekends, but not nearly as much as what I was doing, and that was something that was really important for me and my family.”
Bernardi takes over in a unique situation as the Spartans transition to independent status starting with the 2020-21 school year, and won’t be competing in a conference.
“You’re bound by your conference sometimes, and sometimes that impacts your strength of schedule and it impacts where you travel to,” Bernardi said. “But now we can really individualize our schedules to all specific teams. For state championship contenders, we’ll schedule accordingly. For a team that’s maybe a younger rebuilding team, we’ll schedule accordingly. Maybe it’s a little extra work, but I think for the growth and health of our athletic program and each team specifically, I think it’s a good thing.”
Bernardi’s position as athletics director is a full-time role, providing the added benefit of being at school with his athletes five days a week.
“It’s so important to be there every day,” Bernardi said. “It’s something I tried to do last year, but there were times when things would get in the way. But now I’m guaranteed to be there every day, continue my relationship building with the teachers, with the academic staff. Just be more and more involved in their entire school experience.”
Bernardi is a 2019 graduate of Elon, where he earned a degree in mathematics and spent three years as a manager under former men’s basketball coach Matt Matheny.
Posted Apr 10, 2020 at 6:14 PM
Less than nine months after Ryan Bernardi was named The Burlington School boys’ basketball coach, the 22-year-old has added another title.
Bernardi was announced as the Spartans athletics director on Friday.
“We want to be a program that competes for state championships in every sport,” Bernardi said of his vision. “We also want to be a program that, for athletes that want it, can pursue getting college scholarships through athletics.”
Bernardi’s first basketball season leading the Spartans culminated with a 25-11 record and an independent schools association Class 1-A state runner-up finish in February, following the capturing of Mid-Carolina Conference regular-season and tournament titles.
“After a successful season as our boys’ basketball coach, Ryan brings enthusiasm and passion to the table as our next athletics director,” said Ronnie Wall, head of school at The Burlington School. “I believe his youthful energy will help carry on the winning tradition we have built here at TBS.”
Bernardi was hired in July after coaching the Burlington Christian Academy boys’ basketball team for one season.
“I’m just really grateful to Mr. Wall, the trust he’s put in me,” Bernardi said, “the trust he had in me last year to hire me as the basketball coach. It means a lot. It’s a great honor.”
Rick Frampton, who coaches The Burlington School’s boys’ and girls’ soccer teams, has been named assistant athletics director. He guided the Spartans girls to a 2019 state championship and has experience as an athletics director at several previous schools.
“He will be an invaluable resource to me, being this is my first time being an athletics director,” Bernardi said. ”... I’ll really lean on him for advice, especially in the beginning.”
Bernardi succeeds Will Roberson, who held the position of athletics director for the past two years. Roberson was The Burlington School boys’ basketball coach for the 2018-19 season and spent five seasons prior as an assistant.
Roberson is headed to Elon where he will serve in the office of university advancement as the assistant director of parent engagement, beginning later this month. His final day at The Burlington School is April 17.
“I think it will be much more normal hour-wise,” Roberson said. “There will be some late nights and weekends, but not nearly as much as what I was doing, and that was something that was really important for me and my family.”
Bernardi takes over in a unique situation as the Spartans transition to independent status starting with the 2020-21 school year, and won’t be competing in a conference.
“You’re bound by your conference sometimes, and sometimes that impacts your strength of schedule and it impacts where you travel to,” Bernardi said. “But now we can really individualize our schedules to all specific teams. For state championship contenders, we’ll schedule accordingly. For a team that’s maybe a younger rebuilding team, we’ll schedule accordingly. Maybe it’s a little extra work, but I think for the growth and health of our athletic program and each team specifically, I think it’s a good thing.”
Bernardi’s position as athletics director is a full-time role, providing the added benefit of being at school with his athletes five days a week.
“It’s so important to be there every day,” Bernardi said. “It’s something I tried to do last year, but there were times when things would get in the way. But now I’m guaranteed to be there every day, continue my relationship building with the teachers, with the academic staff. Just be more and more involved in their entire school experience.”
Bernardi is a 2019 graduate of Elon, where he earned a degree in mathematics and spent three years as a manager under former men’s basketball coach Matt Matheny.
