Stu Starner
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 8, 1943 Hoffman, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | July 17, 2024 (aged 81) Bozeman, Montana, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1962–1965 | Minnesota–Morris |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1978–1979 | Minnesota (GA) |
| 1979–1981 | Montana State (assistant) |
| 1981–1983 | Minnesota (assistant) |
| 1983–1990 | Montana State |
| 1990–1995 | UTSA |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 194–153 (.559) |
| Tournaments | 0–1 (NCAA Division I) 0–1 (NIT) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Big Sky tournament (1986) Big Sky regular season (1987) TAAC regular season (1991) Southland regular season (1992) | |
| Awards | |
| Big Sky Coach of the Year (1986) | |
Stuart John Starner (April 8, 1943 – July 17, 2024) was an American college basketball coach. He was an NCAA Division I head men's coach for eleven seasons for Montana State University and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).
Career
A native of Hoffman, Minnesota, Starner played college basketball and football at the University of Minnesota Morris, graduating in 1965. After a successful high school coaching career in Wabasso and Richfield, Minnesota, Starner moved to the college ranks in 1978 as a graduate assistant at Minnesota. After assistant roles at Montana State in Bozeman and a second stint at Minnesota, Starner was hired in April 1983 as the head coach at Montana State.[1][2] In his third season in 1986, Starner's Bobcats won the Big Sky Conference tournament as the sixth seed, gaining an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the only team in the field with a losing overall record.[3] The following season, the Bobcats won the Big Sky Conference regular season title behind Conference Player of the Year Tom Domako.
In 1990, Starner took the unusual step of requesting a one-year sabbatical from his head coaching position at Montana State. His request was granted and assistant Mick Durham was named interim head coach.[4] However, Starner surprised the school two months later by accepting the head coaching position at UTSA.[5] Starner spent five seasons coaching the Roadrunners, Starner resigned in 1995 with an 84–58 record at the school. His teams won conference regular season championships in 1991 and 1992.[6]
Death
Starner died at age 81 on July 17, 2024, in Bozeman, Montana.[7]
Head coaching record
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana State Bobcats (Big Sky Conference) (1983–1990) | |||||||||
| 1983–84 | Montana State | 14–15 | 7–7 | 3rd | |||||
| 1984–85 | Montana State | 11–17 | 7–7 | 5th | |||||
| 1985–86 | Montana State | 14–17 | 6–8 | 6th | NCAA Division I first round | ||||
| 1986–87 | Montana State | 21–8 | 12–2 | 1st | NIT first round | ||||
| 1987–88 | Montana State | 19–11 | 10–6 | 3rd | |||||
| 1988–89 | Montana State | 14–15 | 6–10 | 6th | |||||
| 1989–90 | Montana State | 17–12 | 8–8 | 5th | |||||
| Montana State: | 110–95 (.537) | 56–48 (.538) | |||||||
| UTSA Roadrunners (Trans America Athletic Conference) (1990–1991) | |||||||||
| 1990–91 | UTSA | 21–8 | 12–2 | 1st | |||||
| UTSA Roadrunners (Southland Conference) (1991–1995) | |||||||||
| 1991–92 | UTSA | 21–8 | 15–3 | 1st | |||||
| 1992–93 | UTSA | 15–14 | 10–8 | 3rd | |||||
| 1993–94 | UTSA | 12–15 | 8–10 | 6th | |||||
| 1994–95 | UTSA | 15–13 | 11–7 | 2nd | |||||
| UTSA: | 84–58 (.592) | 44–28 (.611) | |||||||
| Total: | 194–153 (.559) | ||||||||
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
| |||||||||
References
- ^ "Starner to handle Bobcat basketball". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. April 6, 1983. p. C1.
- ^ "Montana State names Stu Starner basketball coach". Missoulian. April 5, 1983. p. 7. Retrieved August 9, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bozemen are big contrast to Redmen". Los Angeles Times. March 12, 1986. p. 27. Retrieved August 9, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Montana St. allows Starner to take 1-year sabbatical". Billings Gazette. March 6, 1990. p. 15. Retrieved August 9, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Texas school hires Starner". Missoulian. April 10, 1990. p. 21. Retrieved August 9, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "UTSA basketball coach resigns". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. March 16, 1995. p. 65. Retrieved August 9, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Legendary Former Bobcat Basketball Coach Stu Starner Passes Away