Coaching is something that Karli (Bonar) Burkett comes by honestly.

Burkett is the daughter of Mark Bonar, who is a long-time football and baseball coach and was hired in February as the next head football coach at Bellaire. She’s the sister of Marci Quirk, who is a former head basketball coach at both Union Local and Bellaire. She has uncles and cousins who are current and/or former coaches.

It’s in her blood, if you will.

That is what made the 2021-22 basketball season so long and arduous for Burkett. For the first time since she was basically old enough to pick up a basketball, she had no formal involvement with the sport. She did play in a women’s league in Central Ohio, but said “it wasn’t that fun.”

“I actually worried that I would love all of the free time, but it was actually the total opposite,” Bukett said. “Basketball has always been like an outlet for me, and I honestly didn’t know what to do with myself.”

Burkett, who is a 2013 Shadyside High School graduate, will have plenty of opportunities to make up for that lost time with basketball. She was recently hired, pending board approval, as the new girls varsity basketball coach at Division I Jerome High School in Dublin.

Burkett, who will continue to teach at Upper Arlington, wasn’t exactly looking real hard for a head-coaching position. However, she heard about the Jerome opening and decided to pursue it.

“I thought Jerome might be a good opportunity,” Burkett said. “I sent my resume and stuff in in April and I honestly didn’t have really high expectations, but I was excited to see where it led.”

It got to the point where Burkett actually reached out to the Jerome administration to check on the position because several weeks passed before she had heard anything about the job.

“I didn’t think I had even gotten an interview,” Burkett confessed. “I think my first interview was on May 10 and then a week later I was called back for a second interview.”

That led to the announcement the school made this past week that Burkett, who played four years at the University of Findlay, would be the recommendation to the Dublin City Schools Board of Education.

“They had called me and offered the position, but I had to submit a few different things, which I did and it felt like I had to keep it quiet for so long,” Burkett said.

Burkett started her teaching and coaching career at Shadyside before matriculating to Central Ohio. She actually thought her first winter without basketball would be forthcoming when she landed the teaching position at Upper Arlington.

However, in October, she was approached by the head coach about taking over the freshmen program.

“I loved the experience and the girls, but then Upper Arlington got a new head coach the following year, so I moved up to the junior varsity level with all of the same girls I had as freshmen,” Burkett pointed out.

Burkett actually was the interim head coach at U-A and oversaw the offseason and summer program before the 2021 campaign. However, she elected not to apply for the position on a full-time basis.

“That experience (as interim coach) was super helpful,” Burkett said. “Having just that little bit of time as head coach and taking care of some of the little things that come with the job was important.”

As she gets set to begin her newest journey, Burkett admits to having some nerves. But, none are about the basketball side of the job.

“There’s going to be a little bit of a learning curve,” Burkett said. “I feel lucky to have had that interim position to learn some of the ins and outs, but there are still a lot of areas where I will be leaning on different people. And I must say everyone I’ve talked to about this, so far, has been supportive and willing to help.”

Burkett takes over a Jerome program that finished 5-17 last season, competing in the Ohio Capital Conference’s Cardinal Division.

Since she will remain at Upper Arlington as a teacher and knows many of the players on its roster, she was relieved that Jerome and U-A won’t be playing each other this season.

“I have such strong relationships with the girls at U-A that would be uncomfortable to play against them,” Burkett said.

The only things Burkett has seen from her players are what she’s been able to find online.

“I found two games on YouTube and I am working to get access to their Hudl account to watch more of the games,” Burkett said. “They seem like a talented group and from what I can tell they’re excited and want to learn and get better. I am excited to see what I can pull out of them. I know they may be guarded because they’ve had some coaching changes, but hopefully we can break those walls down quickly, get to know them and pull out their potential.”

Burkett’s resume as a player should definitely help break down those walls. When Burkett left Shadyside, she was the all-time leading 3-point shooter in Ohio High School girls basketball history with 350 bonus goals. She was twice a First Team All-Ohio selection.

At Findlay, Burkett was a four-year regular. She finished with 944 career points, including 260, 3-point goals. She shot an impressive 37.4% from behind the arc.

“I made some of my best friends and formed some of the longest relationships through basketball and making the sport a positive experience for these girls is very important to me,” Burkett said. “I think the biggest thing is accountability and competing well. We want to get better every day and accountability and relationships are a big part of that.”

Karli and her husband, Pete, live in Dublin. The couple will celebrate its second wedding anniversary on June 6.

SETH’S SCOOPS

LINSLY HAS hired Wheeling Central grad Joey Seabright as its new golf coach. Seabright takes over for Mark Landini, who stepped down after five seasons at the helm. Seabright won two state championships and three OVAC championships as a player with the Maroon Knights.

SHENANDOAH finds itself in the market for a new athletics director. Eric Sholtis stepped down to accept the same position at Athens High School.

BEAVER LOCAL is also looking for a new director of athletics. Bob Beam resigned after one year to accept the same job at Springfield Local in New Middletown, which is located near Youngstown.

EAST LIVERPOOL is back in the market for a new athletic director. Domic Boyle has resigned following one year on the job with the Potters.

GOOD LUCK to all participants in the Ogden Wellness Weekend. My best advice is run and/or walk fast and take plenty of fluids while you’re on the course.