Getting a sitting head coach to join your staff is quite an accomplishment. Becky Burke has done that with the addition of Kent State head coach Todd Starkey to the Arizona women’s basketball staff. Starkey will have the title of associate head coach that was previously held by Ashley Odom.
“We are thrilled to have Todd Starkey join our coaching staff here at Arizona,” Burke said in the press release. “He is an incredible basketball mind, relationship builder, and human being. Our goal is to compete for Big 12 Championships and recruit the best players in the country, and with the addition of Coach Starkey we have put ourselves in position to do so. I am grateful that a coach of Todd’s caliber has decided to come be a Wildcat.”
Burke knows Starkey well. She coached against him in the MAC during her three years at Buffalo
Starkey has spent the last 10 years leading the Golden Flashes, becoming the second-winningest coach in program history with a 179-127 record. His teams have been to the postseason five times, including one NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Golden Flashes qualified for the MAC tournament, which includes only eight of the league’s 13 teams. They earned the No. 8 seed after going 9-9 in conference play but fell to No. 1 seed Miami (OH) by the score of 65-58 to end their season. It was the second time this season that they lost to the top seed by single digits. While they finished 15-16 overall, they had teams like West Virginia and Ohio State on their schedule during nonconference play.
Four of Starkey’s 10 seasons at KSU ended with at least 20 wins. He was named the MAC Coach of the Year after his first season.
Starkey also has experience at the Power 4/5 level. Prior to taking over at Kent State, he was an assistant coach at Indiana for two years. He helped coach the team to the 2016 NCAA Tournament where they won their first tournament game since 1983.
It’s not the first time Starkey has moved from a head coaching role to assistant on a major conference staff. He was the head coach at Division II Lenoir-Rhyne University from 2005-14. He was the the WBCA Division II National Coach of the Year in 2009 when the program was a No. 1 seed in the DII tournament. The Bears were once again a No. 1 seed in his final year at the helm. He left with the most victories in program history at 165-95.
“I couldn’t be more excited to join Coach Burke and her staff! Her competitive passion for the game is unmatched and inspiring! I am very grateful to the Kent State community for all of their incredible support over the past 10 years,” Starkey said. “I look forward to bringing the same passion to pursue championships to Arizona and Coach Burke’s staff! Bear Down…Go Cats!!”
Burke has two more assistant coaching positions to fill this offseason.
