Eureka College Names 2X NFL Pro Bowler Randy Starks as 20th Head Football Coach
EUREKA – Eureka College is pleased to announce Randy Starks, NFL veteran and proven leader, as the new head coach of the Eureka football program. Under Starks’ leadership, Eureka football will begin an exciting new chapter.
Starks is humbled to lead the Red Devil program and grateful to have such a great opportunity. “This is truly a blessing. I do not take this job lightly, and I will live up to this important role,” Starks said. “There are a lot of people that coach their entire lives and never get this opportunity. I am proud to say that I am the Head Football Coach of Eureka College. This is a dream come true!”
“I would like to thank my father, Randolph Starks, and my son, Trey Starks, for encouraging me to pursue my coaching career,” Starks said.
As Eureka’s 20th all-time head coach, Starks (Maryland ’04) succeeds Kurt Barth (Eureka ’97), who resigned as head coach in December after 15 seasons and 70 wins at the helm.
“We are thrilled to announce Coach Starks as our next Head Football Coach. His commitment to academics, the mentorship and development of his student-athletes, and his love for teaching the game of football set him apart from a very competitive field of over 110 applicants,” said Athletic Director Sara Shaw. “He has played football at the highest level, has a wide variety of experiences as a football coach, and is pursuing his Ph.D. Our athletes are incredibly fortunate to have Coach Starks lead them and we can’t wait to see where he takes our program.”
Coach Starks has already begun laying out his vision for the program, sharing that it is his goal to have a positive impact on the student-athletes on and off the field. More specifically, Starks said, “I want them to reach their potential academically by earning their degree, as well as winning games. We, as a team, will strive for excellence and be pillars of the campus and broader community. As a program, we will hang our hats on family, respect, discipline, accountability, and sacrifice.”
Starks brings a wealth of coaching experience to Eureka after recent stops at Loughborough College, Bakersfield College, Fresno State, and LaGrange College. In his most recent role at Loughborough, Starks was a defensive line coach, and at Bakersfield College, where he also assisted in recruiting and building a team’s playbook.
Starks is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Health Sciences—Exercise and Sport Science from Liberty University. He holds a Masters in Sport Management from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Science (School of Public Health Family Science) from the University of Maryland, where he played for three seasons before declaring for the NFL draft.
During his time in the NFL, Starks had the opportunity to play for three different organizations: the Tennessee Titans (2004-08), the Miami Dolphins (2008-15), and the Cleveland Browns (2015-16). As a rookie for the Titans, Starks became a consistent starter, playing defensive tackle and nose tackle. In 2008, he made the move to Miami, where he spent the bulk of his career and quickly established himself as a staple player for the franchise. He was the first Dolphin in history to be selected to the Pro Bowl for two different positions: going in 2011 as a defensive end and 2013 as a nose tackle. Starks finished his time in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns (2015-16). In Cleveland, he was the leader of the Defensive Line Unit.
In his time as a Terrapin, Starks was a key part of Maryland’s defensive line, seeing action in every game of his collegiate career and starting every game of his sophomore and junior seasons. He was also an All-American. As a sophomore, he was a second team All-ACC selection, recording 93 tackles, 6. 5 sacks, and 12.5 TFLs. And, as a junior, he was a first team All-ACC selection, posting 74 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and 15.5 TFLs. Following such a distinguished college career, he was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the 3rd round (71st overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft.
Following his impressive playing career, Starks quickly pursued his passion for coaching, which began with an internship as a part of the New York Jets organization where he served as an assistant defensive line coach in 2018.
Starks is ready to hit the ground running and said, “I look forward to getting to know the team, parents, staff, the institution, and the community... Go Red Devils!”