Stu Starner
{{Short description|American basketball coach (1943–2024)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Stu Starner
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| current_title =
| current_team =
| current_conference =
| current_record =
| contract =
| birth_name = Stuart John Starner
| birth_date = {{birth date|1943|4|8}}
| birth_place = Hoffman, Minnesota, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|7|17|1943|4|8}}
| death_place = Bozeman, Montana, U.S.
| alma_mater =
| player_years1 = 1962–1965
| player_team1 = Minnesota–Morris
| player_positions =
| coach_years1 = 1978–1979
| coach_team1 = Minnesota (GA)
| coach_years2 = 1979–1981
| coach_team2 = Montana State (assistant)
| coach_years3 = 1981–1983
| coach_team3 = Minnesota (assistant)
| coach_years4 = 1983–1990
| coach_team4 = Montana State
| coach_years5 = 1990–1995
| coach_team5 = UTSA
| overall_record = 194–153 ({{Winning percentage|194|153}})
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record = 0–1 (NCAA Division I)
0–1 (NIT)
| 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)
| coaching_records =
}}
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
Starner, a native of Hoffman, Minnesota, played 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 and a second stint at Minnesota, Starner was hired as the head coach for Montana State in Bozeman, Montana in 1983.{{cite news|title=Montana State names Stu Starner basketball coach|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56992562/the-missoulian/|newspaper=Missoulian|date=April 5, 1983|page=7|via =Newspapers.com|accessdate = August 9, 2020}} {{Open access}} In 1986, Starner's Bobcats won the 1986 Big Sky Conference tournament as the 6 seed, gaining the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the only team in the field with a losing overall record.{{cite news|title=Bozemen are big contrast to Redmen|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56994063/the-los-angeles-times/|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=March 12, 1986|page=27|via =Newspapers.com|accessdate = August 9, 2020}} {{Open access}} 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.{{cite news|title=Montana St. allows Starner to take 1-year sabbatical|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56992737/the-billings-gazette/|newspaper=Billings Gazette|date=March 6, 1990|page=15|via =Newspapers.com|accessdate = August 9, 2020}} {{Open access}} However, Starner surprised the school two months later by accepting the head coaching position at UTSA.{{cite news|title=Texas school hires Starner|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56994280/the-missoulian/|newspaper=Missoulian|date=April 10, 1990|page=21|via =Newspapers.com|accessdate = August 9, 2020}} {{Open access}} 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.{{cite news|title=UTSA basketball coach resigns|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56994574/fort-worth-star-telegram/|newspaper=Fort Worth Star-Telegram|date=March 16, 1995|page=65|via =Newspapers.com|accessdate = August 9, 2020}} {{Open access}}
Death
Starner died in Bozeman, Montana on July 17, 2024, at the age of 81.[https://msubobcats.com/news/2024/7/18/mens-basketball-legendary-former-bobcat-basketball-coach-stu-starner-passes-away.aspx Legendary Former Bobcat Basketball Coach Stu Starner Passes Away]
Head coaching record
{{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = | conference = | postseason = | poll = }}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Montana State Bobcats
| conference = Big Sky Conference
| startyear = 1983
| endyear = 1990
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1983–84
| name = Montana State
| overall = 14–15
| conference = 7–7
| confstanding = 3rd
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1984–85
| name = Montana State
| overall = 11–17
| conference = 7–7
| confstanding = 5th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference tournament
| season = 1985–86
| name = Montana State
| overall = 14–17
| conference = 6–8
| confstanding = 6th
| postseason = NCAA Division I first round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| season = 1986–87
| name = Montana State
| overall = 21–8
| conference = 12–2
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason = NIT first round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1987–88
| name = Montana State
| overall = 19–11
| conference = 10–6
| confstanding = 3rd
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1988–89
| name = Montana State
| overall = 14–15
| conference = 6–10
| confstanding = 6th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1989–90
| name = Montana State
| overall = 17–12
| conference = 8–8
| confstanding = 5th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Montana State
| overall = 110–95 ({{Winning percentage|110|95}})
| confrecord = 56–48 ({{Winning percentage|56|48}})
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = UTSA Roadrunners
| conference = Trans America Athletic Conference
| startyear = 1990
| endyear = 1991
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1990–91
| championship = conference
| name = UTSA
| overall = 21–8
| conference = 12–2
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = UTSA Roadrunners
| conference = Southland Conference
| startyear = 1991
| endyear = 1995
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| season = 1991–92
| name = UTSA
| overall = 21–8
| conference = 15–3
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1992–93
| name = UTSA
| overall = 15–14
| conference = 10–8
| confstanding = 3rd
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1993–94
| name = UTSA
| overall = 12–15
| conference = 8–10
| confstanding = 6th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1994–95
| name = UTSA
| overall = 15–13
| conference = 11–7
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = UTSA
| overall = 84–58 ({{Winning percentage|84|58}})
| confrecord = 44–28 ({{Winning percentage|44|28}})
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
| overall = 194–153 ({{Winning percentage|194|153}})
}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/coaches/stu-starner-1.html Coaching record @ sports-reference.com]
{{Montana State Bobcats men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{UTSA Roadrunners men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year navbox}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Starner, Stu}}
Category:American men's basketball coaches
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Basketball coaches from Minnesota
Category:Basketball players from Minnesota
Category:College men's basketball head coaches in the United States
Category:High school basketball coaches in Minnesota
Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball coaches
Category:Minnesota Morris Cougars football players
Category:Minnesota Morris Cougars men's basketball players
Category:Montana State Bobcats men's basketball coaches
Category:People from Grant County, Minnesota