Winona State University alumnus Rick Starzecki gave a presentation Thursday, Oct. 19 to current students at Winona who are interested in a career in coaching, where he shared his coaching philosophies. He focused on fundamentals of coaching, cultivating relationships, weight training and personal stories that shaped him to be the coach he is today.

“My mantra in coaching is to always be professional. It’s a very simple way to conduct yourself,” Starzecki said.

Starzecki is a 1970 Winona State alumnus, Winona State University Hall of Fame member, Cotter High School Hall of Fame member and has over 40 years of coaching and teaching experience.

He discussed the importance of creating parameters and setting a precedent right away as a coach. Communication, he added, is a crucial aspect to a successful coach both on and off the field.

“You can be friendly, but you should not be their friend, you have to develop a tough skin,” Starzecki said. “Not showing favoritism is a vital aspect to being successful. The task of a coach is to win for the team, not the individual player.”

Starzecki began his teaching and coaching career in 1970 at Mabel-Canton High School, and later made the jump to college athletics. He served as an assistant basketball coach at the NCAA Division I level from 1973-1982.

In 1982, Starzecki resumed teaching and coaching at Rapport High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. During those 27 years he was the head basketball coach for nine years and assistant football coach for 11 years where he won championships in both sports.

Students who attended his presentation said they learned a lot.

“I relate to a lot to what coach talked about, he has a great coaching resume, so I have a lot of respect for him,” senior Jeff Lavell, a coaching major who already has started his philosophy to coaching, said. “My family has a history of coaching so I want to work hard to be the best coach I can be. This made listening to the coach very easy.”

Another topic Starzecki discussed was the importance of being able to step out of your comfort zone and do things that help you grow.

Starzecki had an opportunity to recruit early in his career. One of the collegiate athletes he was able to recruit was Maurice Cheeks, who ended up being a player and coach in the NBA. Starzecki told the story of how he convinced Cheeks to step out of his comfort zone.

In his junior year of college Cheeks was encouraged by Starzecki to take a public speaking class. Starzecki described Cheeks as a shy, introverted kid and was initially against the idea.

After being convinced, he took the course and ended up doing very well in the class. Years later, when Cheeks became head coach, there was a singer who was performing the national anthem and forgot the words. She stopped singing until Cheeks walked over to sing with her. It was something he would have never done before.

“I tell that story to kids to let them know they are not alone and it’s okay to ask for help sometimes,” Starzecki said.

Starzecki had a long athletic career at Winona State University, filled with successes. In football, he was a four-year starter and three-time all-conference and all-regional player. He was a three-year co-captain, and a member of the 1968 co-conference champion football team.

In basketball, Starzecki started for four years. The Winona State University basketball team was co-conference champions during the 1968-69 season. In that season, Starzecki was named all-conference and team MVP.

Starzecki was inducted into the Winona State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989. He was also named to Winona State’s All-Century football team as a defensive back. He left the school as the all-time leader in interceptions.

“When you hear what [Starzecki] has to say about footspeed and agility, take it to the bank,” Mark Reitan, director of alumni relations at Winona State said. “This guy was unbelievable when he played at Winona State, so we are fortunate to have had him speak tonight.”