In addition to her coaching duties, Burgin’s responsibilities as Senior Women’s Leader at C-SC will include serving on the Athletic Advisory Committee and collaborating with the athletic director regarding departmental and university initiatives. She will be instrumental in providing leadership and guidance in the area of Title IX and gender equality planning for both men’s and women’s sports. Burgin will also assist the athletic director with strategic planning, budget development, financial decisions, and hiring and onboarding practices for the department.

A significant highlight of the new role will be the opportunity for Burgin to advocate for student-athletes and mentor other departmental staff members. Additionally, she will serve on various committees on campus and provide game-day management to other events.

Pat Atwell, athletic director, said Burgin was the logical choice for the position due to her many years of experience as a head coach at the NAIA level.

“She has always had an interest in the inner workings of the department and school and has natural leadership characteristics that make her an excellent fit for this role,” Atwell said. “I look forward to working with Janette to move Culver-Stockton athletics forward.”

As the Coordinator of Student-Athlete Experience, Erickson will serve as the chairperson of the Wildcat Athletic Council. Additionally, she will become the Champions of Character Liaison for the athletic department as well as a liaison for the Student-Success Center on campus. She will be charged with tracking the community outreach projects, exploring leadership opportunities for student-athletes, and collaborating with the vice president for Student-Experience on various projects.

Erickson will join Burgin in representing the athletic department on other campus committees, providing leadership guidance and gender equality planning, advocating for student-athletes, mentoring staff members throughout the department, and providing game-day management to events.

Atwell said since Erickson joined the C-SC staff, she has shown a true passion for student-athletes and their college experience. She also noted she is pleased to see a new role that will enhance the C-SC experience for student-athletes.

“Caitlin has the natural ability to look at the positive side of situations and see the good in people. This characteristic will serve her well in this role,” said Atwell. “She already serves as the chair of the Wildcat Athletic Council, interacting with student-athletes from all the teams, and we look forward to her expanded role in serving their needs.”

The addition of the athletic coach minor track at C-SC expands the educational offerings of the college while also responding to the growing needs of the job market across the country. According to the , employment of coaches is expected to increase by 20% by 2031. That is faster than the average for all occupations, the agency states.

“We at Culver-Stockton are constantly striving to not only ensure the best education for our students, but we also recognize our responsibility as a higher learning institution to continuously provide majors and minors that reflect employment opportunities in a constantly changing society,” said Dr. Kim Gaither, Vice President for Academic Affairs. “Our new athletic coaching minor does just that, and we are excited to watch the program grow.”

The minor will require a total of 24 hours, including three hours of instruction in Fundamentals of Coaching, Mental Aspects of Coaching, Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries, First Aid/CPR, and Psychological and Social Aspects of Physical Education and Sports. Other course electives include Skill Analysis – Team and Individual Sports, Techniques of Team Sports, Officiating Sports, and Theory and Practice of Coaching Basketball, Baseball, or Football.

“Our faculty carefully constructed the course load for the athletic coaching minor to build the skills needed for future coaches, from strategic gameplay to effective communication to relationship building,” said Dr. Cindy Whiston, Education Department chair. “Our goal is to prepare athletic coaches who can effectively respond to the needs of a team, both on and off the field or court. We are confident our new minor will help athletic coaches develop the skills needed to excel both in instruction and guidance.”

To learn more about the athletic coaching minor, visit or contact the Admission Office at 573-288-6000.