Todd Starkey Named Lenoir-Rhyne's Acting Women's Basketball Coach
Search for a permanent head coach continues
July 13, 2005

Courtesy Lenoir-Rhyne College Sports Information Office

Hickory, N.C. – Neill McGeachy, Lenoir-Rhyne's Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, announced Wednesday that Todd Starkey will be the acting head coach for the women's basketball team. The search for a permanent head coach continues. Karen Barefoot, the previous mentor, resigned last week to become an assistant coach for the Old Dominion University women's basketball team.

Starkey currently serves as head coach for the Lenoir-Rhyne's women's tennis team, which re-launched last spring after a seven-year hiatus, and has been an assistant coach for the men's basketball program the last two seasons. In 2003-04, Starkey helped lead the Bears to their second consecutive South Regular Season Championship and subsequent berth in the NCAA Division II Playoffs.

Prior to Lenoir-Rhyne, Starkey coached five seasons at Montreat College (1998-03) and helped the Cavaliers earn a berth in the NAIA National Tournament during the 1999-00 season. That same year, Montreat improved its win total from seven to 22 games, the second-best improvement in the nation at any level.

Starkey, a 1993 graduate of Montreat, played one year of basketball for the Cavaliers and two years at Mars Hill College.

"Lenoir-Rhyne is grateful for Todd Starkey's willingness to step into the breach," said McGeachy. "Todd (Starkey) is an outstanding coach and he is in the right place at the right time. Todd (Starkey) is aware, though, that our search continues. We are hoping to have a head coach in place by the end of August when the school year begins."

"I'm excited about the opportunity to continue moving the women's basketball program forward in a positive direction and building on the tradition that has already been started," said Todd Starkey. "I am grateful for this unique opportunity that has been presented to me."