Joel Burrus is the new boys basketball coach at Lakeland Christian Academy in Winona Lake (Photo provided by Lakeland Christian Academy)

WINONA LAKE – Lakeland Christian Academy has turned to a coach familiar with the area to build its boys basketball program.

Joel Burrus, a native of Akron, has been hired as the new man in charge of the Cougars.

Burrus comes to LCA after spending the last two years as an assistant coach at IU-Kokomo. Burrus played at North Miami High School and then served as an assistant coach at his alma mater.

Burrus, prior to going to IU-Kokomo, spent four seasons on his father’s coaching staff at Southwood High School in Wabash. He compiled a 47-13 mark as the JV coach there and as a varsity assistant helped the Knights go 54-35 with a Three Rivers Conference title to go with a sectional and a regional championship as Southwood reached the Final Four in 2010.

“I am very excited to have this opportunity,” said Burrus in a press release issued today by LCA. “Lakeland has great Christian values and wants to see their basketball program take off. I want to build a winner here. We will be a hard working team with a focus on playing great defense and rebounding. I can’t wait to get started.”

LCA was a member of the IHSAA for the first time during the 2012-13 school year.

LCA Athletic Director Tim Yocum is excited about bringing a young and enthusiastic coach into the mix to help build a program with a young team next season.

“Joel wants to build a program here and will be starting with a young group of guys,” said Yocum in the press release. “He’ll need patience in the process.”

Burrus replaces Lee Compson, who was 13-50 in his three seasons as LCA coach.

The Cougars finished 7-15 during the 2012-13 campaign with a roster that included nine seniors. LCA lost 49-36 to Bethany Christian in its first-ever sectional game in the opening round of the Class 1-A Hamilton Sectional.