Jamie Starr Returns to Xavier Soccer Program as Goalkeeper Coach

CINCINNATI – Xavier men's soccer head coach Andy Fleming announced the return of volunteer assistant coach Jamie Starr to the staff on Friday. Starr will begin his seventh season as an assistant coach in 2017, and will serve as the team's primary goalkeepers coach after performing in the same role for FC Cincinnati since the club's formation.

Part of the 2014 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year at Xavier, Starr has helped lead XU to four NCAA Tournament appearances – including a trip to the program's first-ever Sweet 16 in 2014. He also played a big role in the development of 2014 BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year Eric Osswald, who set program records for shutouts (11) and GAA (0.74) in 2014.

In 2015, Starr trained BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year Dallas Jaye and helped Xavier compile 12 wins, while earning a No. 10 ranking in the NSCAA poll. The Musketeers won at No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 1 Creighton during the fall, widely considered to be the first time any team has knocked off the top two NSCAA-ranked teams on the road in the same season.

A 1998 graduate of and four-year letter-winner at the University of South Carolina, Starr served as a graduate assistant at USC during the 1998 season. He helped train the USC goalkeepers, including Chicago Fire MLS Cup MVP keeper Henry Ring.

Following a stint as a high school coach, Starr was named as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Tulsa and was with the Golden Hurricane during the 2000 season. Tulsa finished the season 10-7-2 that year.

Starr began working for Pencom Systems Inc. in 2000 and moved onto Braintree Laboratories Inc. as a territory manager from 2001-02. He has worked in his current place of employment, Astrazeneca Pharmaceuticals, since 2003.

He has remained involved in player development, working at the Keeper 2 Keeper Soccer Goalkeeper Training Camp in 2009 and 2010. Starr was also on staff at the Machnik No. 1 Goalkeeper Camp from 1993-98 and worked at the University of South Carolina's soccer camps from 1994-98.

Starr was named team captain during his senior year at South Carolina and helped lead USC to a spot in the NCAA Tournament three times. South Carolina earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament during his sophomore year.

Following graduation, Starr served as the head coach at Heathwood Hall Episcopal High School in Columbia, S.C. His team finished the season with a 10-3 mark and qualified for the state tournament.

COACH FLEMING ON STARR

"There are a lot of dimensions to my relationship with Jamie and him returning to Xavier. Firstly, he is a true friend and makes me a better person by his mere presence. He was on my inaugural staff here back in 2010, so his fingerprints are all over our program's impressive résumé since then. His work speaks for itself with two straight BIG EAST and then a USL Goalkeeper of the Year in the past three seasons. He's proven at the collegiate and pro levels and, in my opinion, deserves consideration with our youth national teams. It's no secret that Mitch Hildebrandt of FC Cincinnati transformed his career under Jamie and I think you'll see his demeanor and skill set prove huge dividends with Zach Nelson and our young goalkeeper group."

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