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Dale Starr to Lead WIU Volleyball

| By: WIU Athletic Communications

He comes to Western Illinois with a wealth of Division-I head coaching experience.

MACOMB, Ill. – Dale Starr has been hired as the next head coach of Western Illinois volleyball, it was announced on Wednesday (Feb. 16). Starr comes to Western Illinois with over two decades of Division-I head coaching experience and 315 career victories.
 
"I'm grateful to director of athletics Danielle Surprenant and the search committee for the opportunity to lead this program," Starr said. "This is the first time in 12 years that I've been somewhere new, and it's an exciting feeling. I've always liked the challenge of trying to rebuild programs and believe there's something unique about trying to make a place better than when you found it, and that's what we're going to try and do here.
 
"Dale brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge, including previous head coaching experience and a strong recruiting network. He has competed for multiple league championships and has NCAA tournament experience so he understands what it takes to be successful at this level," Surprenant said. "We are excited to welcome Dale and his family to the Western Illinois family and the Macomb community, and we look forward to seeing the team's growth under his leadership."
 
He was most recently the head coach at Robert Morris, where he guided the Colonials to 169 victories across 12 seasons, including a 25-5 season in 2019 that saw his team finish with a 15-1 conference record and regular-season championship. In 2015, Starr's Robert Morris team finished 19-13, earning a berth into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in over ten seasons.
 
Prior to coaching at Robert Morris, Starr was at McNeese State University, where he coached for six seasons and held a 96-81 overall record (57-43 in Southland Conference play). In those six seasons, the team made the conference tournament five times and had 15 different players earn All-Conference honors, including the 2004 Newcomer of the Year. Starr's first head coaching stop at the collegiate level came in 1999 when he spent three seasons leading the Mississippi University for Women. Under his tutelage, the Owls had six All-Conference players and finished with a 50-47 record.
 
Starr also had stints at the Tennessee Martin (1998-99, 2003-04) and Boise State (2002-03) as an assistant coach, and started his career as a volunteer assistant (1994-96) at Northern Colorado after playing four seasons as a setter on the Bears' men's volleyball team. A 1995 graduate of Northern Colorado, he earned a bachelor's degree in Social Science and Secondary education.
 
 
 
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