North Carolina State University Athletics
Starkell Joins Pack Gymnastics Staff
9/12/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Sept. 12, 2011
RALEIGH, N.C. - Bob Starkell joins the NC State gymnastics staff as an assistant coach after 17 years of service at the University of Illinois, including 11 as the head coach.
"We're really excited to have him join the staff," said NC State head coach Mark Stevenson. "His experience and the quality of the programs he's led let me know that he'll make an immediate positive impact on our squad. We started last season ranked in the top-10, but I'm confident that he'll be a part of leading us to a final top-10 ranking in the near future."
In 2010, Starkell was named Co-Big Ten Coach of the Year for the second season in a row after guiding his squad to a No. 16 final national ranking, marking the fifth-straight season that the Illini finished in the top-25.
Starkell's most notable achievements came in 2009, when he earned National Coach of the Year honors and was promoted to Director of Gymnastics at Illinois, overseeing both the men's and women's programs.
Under Starkell's leadership, Illinois boasted four All-Americans, five Big Ten champions, 22 All-Big Ten honorees, 51 Scholastic All-Americans, and 91 Academic All-Big Ten selections.
Prior to taking over as head coach, Starkell served as an assistant at Illinois for six years. In 1998, he was named Central Regional Assistant Coach of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches for Women.
Before Illinois, Starkell assisted at Wisconsin-Oshkosh while finishing his bachelor's degree, eventually becoming the men's and women's head coach in 1993 after earning a B.S. in physical education.
In addition to his collegiate coaching, Starkell gained experience training young athletes at the Oshkosh Gymnastics Club, and coached for five years at the International Gymnastics School in Pennsylvania.
