Kendig Announces Changes to Staff

Lincoln - Nebraska women's gymnastics coach Dan Kendig announced the hiring of Adrian Burde as an assistant coach and the promotion of assistant coach Rhonda Faehn to associate head coach. Burde, one of the top junior coaches in Romania, and Faehn, the 2001 NACGC Assistant Coach of the Year, along with Kendig, combine to form an experienced coaching staff.

"I really feel like we have provided the best opportunity for our athletes to achieve their highest goals," Kendig said. "We've given them the best opportunity by providing them with what I feel is the best staff in the country."

Burde, a native of Romania, comes to Nebraska after spending a year at the Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy, where he was the head coach of the girl's program. While at Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy, Burde coached level 10 and elite international gymnasts, including U.S. national team members Larissa Stewart and Lori Wynn.

Burde has worked alongside some of the greatest coaches in women's gymnastics history, including Bela Karolyi, who coached the U.S. women's team to a gold medal in Atlanta in 1996.

He began his coaching career in 1995 in Romania, and joined the staff of Steaua Bucuresti, the top junior club in the country, two years later. He helped guide the team to a first-place finish at the national meet in 1998, including capturing the top-four places in the all-around. While with the club, Burde worked with Eliza Stoica, who coached the Romanian national team to a silver medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

"Romania is one of the foremost women's programs in the world, year in and year out," Kendig said. "Adrian has been in that system. He was one of the top junior coaches in that system and he knows what it takes to be good because he saw it happen. He's had a good background and a good education, and he's seen the best work with the best."

An accomplished gymnast in his own right, Burde was a member of the Romanian junior national team from 1988 to 1992. He joined the French club team Aix les Bains in 1992, and captured the all-around title at the 1994 French national meet.

At Nebraska, Burde will coach vault and tumbling, as well as serve as the conditioning coach. Meanwhile, Faehn will continue to choreograph the Husker floor and beam routines and serve as the primary beam coach, but will add recruiting to her duties. During Faehn's three years, NU has reached the Super Six each year, including a fourth-place finish in 2000.