Rocky Burkett joined the Foundation in May 2025 as Director of Development, bringing with him a strong background in leadership, education, and athletics. Prior to this role, Burkett served as the head coach of the Northern State University wrestling team for 10 years, where he helped shape a competitive and respected program. His commitment to student success extended beyond the wrestling mat, having also worked for eight years with TRIO programs—federal outreach and student services initiatives designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.
With a passion for mentorship and development, Rocky brings a unique blend of coaching experience and educational advocacy to his current role. His deep understanding of student needs and institutional advancement positions him as a valuable asset to the Foundation's mission.
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Prior to his work with the Foundation, Burkett was the head wrestling coach at Northern State University from 2015-25. Burkett exited as the fourth winningest head coach in Northern State wrestling history. In his tenure the Wolves won the NSIC Championship in 2021 and recorded four top-5 league finishes. Individually, 14 student-athletes were honored on the NSIC All-Conference teams and Burkett was named the NWCA Region Coach of the Year following the 2021 campaign. A total of 17 Wolves qualified for the NCAA Championships with eight bringing home All-American accolades. He led two Wolves to 100-win careers in Joe Gomez and Wyatt Turnquist. Northern finished top-20 at the NCAA National Championships in 2023 and improved to a 15th place finish at the 2024 NCAA National Championships.
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In the classroom, over 75 student-athletes have earned National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-America honors and two Wolves were named to the prestigious CSC Academic All-America® teams (Joe Gomez & Wyatt Turnquist). His wrestling teams landed in the top-20 nationally for team GPA three separate seasons, including a 12th place ranking in 2024-25 with a 3.379 mark. In addition, Gomez earned both NSIC Elite 18 and NSIC Dr. William Britton Awards following the 2017 season.
Full Coaching Bio:
In his final season at the helm, Northern went 7-3 overall and 6-3 in the Northern Sun. The Wolves spent time ranked in the NWCA Top-25 Poll and three wrestlers found themselves included in the individual rankings. Wyatt Turnquist was honored on the NSIC All-Conference team and later garnered CSC Academic All-District honors.Â
The 2023-24 season saw the Wolves advance three to the national championships and post an 8-13 team record overall. Devin Bahr and Seth Brossard tallied All-American performances for the Wolves, while Brossard and Wyatt Turnquist were named to the NSIC All-Conference teams. In addition, Northern retained their position as a top-25 team in the country, remaining on the poll throughout the year.Â
In 2022-23 Northern State went 10-5 overall and 5-4 in the Northern Sun. The Wolves capped off their season with three competing at the NCAA National Championships in Wyatt Turnquist, Cole Huss, and Devin Bahr. The Wolves brought home top-25 victories over No. 23 Southwest Minnesota State (25-10), No. 3 Nebraska Kearney (22-20), No. 17 Fort Hays State (40-0), and No. 14 UMary (17-17, tiebreaker). Northern closed out the regular season ranked 22
nd in the NWCA Top-25 Coaches’ Poll. Turnquist and Huss tallied NSIC All-Conference accolades and NCAA All-American awards, while Turnquist was also honored as an Academic All-American® by CSC.Â
The Wolves tallied a 10-3 overall record and 6-3 NSIC record in dual competition in 2021-22. NSU finished third in the league standings in fourth as a team at the NCAA Super Region V Tournament. Wyatt Turnquist and Kolton Roth were named to the NSIC All-Conference first and second team. Turnquist (149), Treyton Cacek (184), and Cole Huss (197) qualified for the NCAA Championships. Huss
 recorded the first NCAA All-American honor of his career taking fourth at the NCAA Championships.
Northern won their first NSIC Championship since 2002, going a perfect 5-0 in league action in the shortened 2021 season. The Wolves saw two student-athletes named to the NSIC All-Conference second team in Caden Moore and Kolton Roth. Both Moore and Roth finished as the Super Region 5 runner-up, with Moore advancing to the NCAA National Championships. Burkett was honored as both the NSIC and NWCA Central Region Coach of the Year.Â
In 2019-20, Northern went 9-8 overall and qualified one student-athlete for the NCAA Wrestling Championships, in Walker Carr (157). Despite his qualification Carr was unable to compete due to the NCAA's announcement to cancel all championships in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic. Northern spent a majority of the season ranked in the NWCA Top-25 or receiving votes, while Dayne Morton, Caden Moore, James Burks, and Marcus Placide each held national rankings during the year. Placide was named to the NSIC All-Conference second team at 184 pounds.
Burkett led Northern State wrestling to their first winning season since 2007-08 with a 6-5 record overall in 2018-19. Northern recorded their highest league finish, 6th, since 2012 and recorded big wins over the University of Mary and Augustana. In addition, the Wolves qualified one wrestler (Kaden Campbell) for the NCAA National Championships and spent two weeks ranked in the NWCA Top-25 National Poll, as well as another three weeks receiving votes. In addition, the Wolves finished 16th nationally on the NWCAÂ All-Academic team list, while six Wolves were honored as scholar athletes.Â
Burkett coached the second All-American of his career in 2017-18 as Blake Perryman (165) finished third at the NCAA National Championships. The Wolves were named to the NWCA All-Academic team list, while five individuals (Castellanos, Holtan, Perryman, Lura, and Horn) were named to the Scholar Athletes team.Â
In his second season with the Wolves, Burkett advanced three wrestlers to the NCAA National Championships in Tyler Stenberg, Sean Havlovic, and Joe Gomez. Gomez earned his third straight All-American honor finishing seventh at 197 pounds. Stenberg also became the third NSU wrestler to win a Super Region Three crown as the Champion at 149 pounds. Joe Gomez also became the first Elite 18 wrestling honoree holding the top GPA of any NSIC wrestler attending the NCAA Championships. He was also just the 11th wrestler in school history to reach the 100 career win mark with 57 wins in his two seasons with Burkett.Â
In his first season with the Wolves Burkett brought the program to a new standard. Academically the Wolves finished the 2015-16 season ranked 14
th nationally in NCAA Division II, being honored with NWCA All-Academic. In addition the team worked to jump their GPA from a 2.6 in the spring of 2015 to a 3.14 in the fall of 2015. Burkett and the Wolves tallied two nationally ranked wrestlers throughout the season in Tyler Stenberg at 149 pounds and Joe Gomez at 197 pounds. Gomez was crowned the NCAA Super Region III Champion and went on to earn his second straight NCAA All-American honor as the National Runner-up.Â
Burkett spent the previous three seasons as the head wrestling coach at Aberdeen Central High School, where he led the Golden Eagles to two Eastern South Dakota Conference titles (2014 and 2015), two Region 3 titles (2014 and 2015), and the 2014 South Dakota State Wrestling Tournament team title. Rocky coached 28 state place winners, most notably four state champions in his three seasons in Aberdeen. Burkett was named the 2014 and 2015 South Dakota Region 3 Wrestling Coach of the Year, and the 2014 South Dakota High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year.
Burkett returns to the NSU coaching staff after two stints with the Wolves as a graduate assistant from 2005-07 and an assistant coach from 2007-11. In his time with the Wolves, the Rochester (IN) native, helped coach ten wrestlers to NCAA Division II National Tournament appearances, two NCAA All-Americans, and one NCAA National Champion.Â
Burkett began his coaching career at Rochester High School in Rochester, Indiana. Rocky coached three Zebras to the IHSAA State Tournament, with two place winners. His experience goes far beyond the high school and collegiate ranks, with a laundry list of camp experiences. Since 2006, Burkett has worked at the Northern State University, Dakota Wesleyan University, and most notably the J Robinson (University of Minnesota) wrestling camps, while organizing and running the Aberdeen Central camps.
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As a collegiate wrestler at Manchester College in North Manchester, Indiana, Rocky earned two Mid-States Wrestling Conference Championships (2002 and 2003), two NCAA Division III Academic All-American nods (2003 and 2004), and appeared in the 2003 NCAA Division III National Tournament. Burkett earned his Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a Middle School Social Studies Endorsement from Manchester College in 2005. He then went on to receive his Master’s degree in Health, Physical Education, and Coaching from NSU in 2007, while serving as a graduate assistant coach.Â
Rocky and his wife, Jennifer, reside in Aberdeen with their three children Ryder, Becca, and Reid.Â
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| Rocky Burkett Dual Year-by-Year |
|
|
Overall |
Conference |
|
| Year   |
School |
W |
L |
W |
L |
Finish |
| 2015-16 |
Northern State |
7 |
14 |
1 |
7 |
8th |
| 2016-17 |
Northern State |
5 |
12 |
1 |
7 |
8th |
| 2017-18 |
Northern State |
2 |
14 |
0 |
8 |
9th |
| 2018-19Â Â |
Northern State |
6 |
5 |
3 |
5 |
6th |
| 2019-20 |
Northern State |
9 |
8 |
2 |
6 |
7th |
| 2021 |
Northern State |
5 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
1st |
| 2021-22 |
Northern State |
10 |
3 |
6 |
3 |
3rd |
| 2022-23 |
Northern State |
10 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
5th |
| 2023-24 |
Northern State |
8 |
13 |
3 |
6 |
7th |
| 2024-25 |
Northern State |
7 |
3 |
6 |
3 |
4th |
| Total |
|
69 |
76 |
31 |
49 |
|
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