ST. PAUL, Minn. - It is not often that a young coach has an opportunity to reach unrivaled heights in their sport, but Concordia University's Brady Starkey has done virtually nothing but win since he took over the program six years ago. Starkey is among just 44 confirmed volleyball coaches in NCAA history to rack up 200 or more wins by the age of 40, and stands out as the winningest coach among the names on this prestigious list. He has put up an outstanding 91.0% winning percentage with 203 wins and just 20 losses with the Golden Bears.
Postseason wins have been key to Starkey acquiring the distinction reached by only 43 other head volleyball coaches in history. With just six seasons under his belt, Starkey has used 22 postseason wins en route to the 200 win plateau. It is fitting that his milestone 200th victory was a must-win match in 2008. Knotted up with Central Region powerhouse Minnesota Duluth in the NCAA regional championship for the fifth straight year, Starkey pounced on the Bulldogs for a 3-0 win that allowed him to join the list of young coaches just before his 40th birthday this past winter.
Starkey's 200th win advanced the Golden Bears their fourth NCAA Division II Elite Eight in six years and gave the 2007 national champions an opportunity to defend their title on their home court. Starkey won his second NCAA Championship with three more wins in December, setting his overall career record at 203-20. He is the only person on the list of NCAA coaches to win 200 or more matches before age 40 that has a winning percentage of 90% or higher. Furthermore, he is the only coach in the history of the region to reach this distinction.
Brady Starkey took over the reigns of the Concordia volleyball program after serving as an assistant coach for the Golden Bears for three seasons. His resume is unrivaled, with two NCAA National Championships, four NCAA Regional titles, six NSIC titles and six straight 30+ win seasons, all within six years of work. His winning percentage of 91.0% (203-20) sets him atop all active NCAA DII coaches. Starkey guided the Golden Bears to 37 straight wins in 2008 and had a high streak of 69 straight NSIC victories from October 2004 through September 2007.
The Golden Bears return a strong core of their National Championship squad in 2009, losing two starters from the rotation but filling in the gaps with another dominant recruiting class. They open the season at the University of West Florida Tournament on August 28-29. Their first home appearance comes on September 11-12 as they host their annual tournament.
