Janel Burgess is set to begin her first season as the women's basketball coach at Grand Valley State. Burgess, 31, comes to GVSU after spending the last three years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Missouri State, including being the Associate Head Coach for the 2006-07 season.

Burgess played an integral role in helping guide Missouri State to its first postseason national title with the 2005 WNIT Championship. The Lady Bears also compiled 25 wins in 2004-05 and won their ninth Missouri Valley Conference title during the 2005-06 season. In addition to her on-court responsibilities and recruiting, Burgess was also in charge of overseeing the compliance of the Missouri State women's basketball program and scouting opponents.

Burgess arrived at Missouri State after a four-year stint at Michigan State where she was the Associate Head Coach under Joanne P. McCallie. She helped lead the Spartans to back-to-back NCAA appearances and two fourth-place finishes in the Big Ten Conference. Michigan State went 22-9 in 2003-04 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament whey they lost to Texas.

The Millersburg, Iowa, native worked with the Spartan post players, as well as serving as recruiting coordinator and director of Michigan State girls' basketball camps. She was instrumental in developing and implementing game strategies and held numerous other responsibilities within the program, such as directing pre and postseason conditioning, developing the game schedule, supervising student-athlete academic progress and coordinating team travel.

Burgess spent one season at the University of Maine (1999-00) under McCallie and helped lead the Black Bears to the NCAA Tournament with a 20-11 record. Beginning her coaching career at Northern Illinois, Burgess spent a brief stint as the director of basketball operations for the Huskies.

A four-year starter at Iowa State, Burgess was a two-time All-Big 12 selection and led the Cyclones to two NCAA Tournament appearances. She finished her collegiate career ranked third in career rebounds (813), third in career points (1,449), fourth in field goal percentage at .531 (559-1053), and second in games played (115). As team co-captain in 1998, she led ISU to a 25-8 record. Burgess graduated from Iowa State with a bachelor's degree in elementary education with a coaching endorsement.

Burgess inherits a program that claimed the 2005-06 NCAA DII National Championship and has made four appearances in the NCAA Tournament the last five years.

Janel and her husband, Tim, have one child, Eddie (4).