David Berkun is in his third season as an assistant coach at UIC, joining the Flames' staff in April 2024. He focuses on the team's offensive game plan and contributes to future game scheduling, strength training, mental performance, international recruiting, team travel and creative strategy.
Berkun has helped oversee UIC's offensive development during a period of continued progress for the program. After the Flames averaged 76.0 points per game in 2024-25, their highest scoring average in nearly three decades and fourth-best mark in the Missouri Valley Conference that season, UIC nearly matched that scoring output in 2025-26, again ranking fourth in the MVC in scoring (75.4 ppg.) as well as assists (14.7 apg.) as the Flames advanced to the MVC Tournament championship game, posting a 19-16 and earning a berth in the National Invitation Tournament, marking the program's first postseason appearance since 2018.
UIC's 2024-25 offensive production also included a program first: the Flames scored more than 90 points in four of their first six games, the first time in the program's 78-year history they had reached that mark four times in such a short span.
Berkun's work has coincided with the emergence of several important contributors for the Flames. In 2025-26, Elijah Crawford earned All-MVC Second Team and MVC All-Newcomer Team honors, while Andy Johnson became UIC's first-ever selection to the MVC All-Freshman Team. Crawford and Rashund Washington Jr. also earned MVC All-Tournament Team recognition as UIC reached the Arch Madness championship game.
Berkun came to Chicago following eight seasons on the men's basketball staff at Stanford University. He most recently served as an assistant coach after previously working as assistant athletics director for men's basketball (2021-23), director of operations (2019-21) and director of player development (2018-19). He began his career at Stanford as a men's basketball intern.
Throughout his eight years at Stanford, Berkun’s responsibilities consistently expanded, with a specific emphasis on scouting, recruiting and analytics. In his operations role, Berkun added oversight of team travel, scheduling of program activities, facilities coordination, alumni development and assisted with scheduling. He also served as the program’s liaison with the department’s facilities, event management, operations and external relations teams, managed team and staff schedules and aided in the program’s Sixth Man initiatives.
In his final three seasons, Berkun helped Stanford to 44 wins, including three against top-five opponents (the program’s first since 2007) and the Cardinal’s first road win over a Top 25 team since 2014. During Berkun’s tenure, Stanford also produced its first Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Year since 2000 (Harrison Ingram in 2022) and two-time all-conference forward Spencer Jones (2022, 2023), as well as three consecutive Pac-12 Scholar-Athletes of the Year (a first in conference history for either men’s or women’s basketball) and a pair of 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-Americans (Brandon Angel and Michael Jones).
A native of Buffalo, New York, Berkun graduated from Canisius College in December 2016 and was immediately hired by Stanford. Berkun earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Canisius, where he was a member of the Dean’s List each semester and graduated magna cum laude. Berkun was also a standout member of the Canisius golf team during his time on the Buffalo campus. A two-time Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-Academic selection as a member of the Golden Griffins, Berkun also served a leadership role on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). During his time at Canisius, Berkun worked in the athletic department, assisting with the internal production of live broadcasts of several events, while also serving as one of the department’s liaisons for external television productions.
Berkun earned his master's degree in Sport Leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2021.
Berkun has two years of experience in coaching, serving as an assistant coach for the varsity boys’ basketball team at Williamsville South High School during the 2014-15 season, and as an assistant coach for the varsity boys’ basketball team at Williamsville North High School for the 2013-14 campaign. Berkun captained the Williamsville North High School boys’ basketball team during a standout scholastic career. His brother, Michael, was named head men’s basketball coach at SUNY Buffalo State University in May 2024 after previously serving six seasons in that same role (as well as director of athletics since 2019) at SUNY Maritime College.
