General 9/12/2024 5:45:00 PM

Canisius Athletics Mourns the Passing of Former AD Dr. Dan Starr ’58

Former Canisius Director of Athletics Dr. Daniel P. Starr '58 died on Wednesday night (Sept. 11) at the age of 90.

The most visible man in Canisius athletics for over a quarter century, Starr served as the school's director of athletics from 1974-2000. His 26-year tenure as the school's chief athletic administrator is the longest in the University's history, and upon his departure, he was the second-longest tenured NCAA Division I athletic director in the country.

In historical terms, Starr's reign as the Golden Griffins' AD covered five U.S. Presidents, four New York State governors and three Buffalo mayors.

"It is a sad day for Canisius University, we lost a Golden Griffin icon and a friend to those who had the privilege of knowing 'Doc'," Canisius Vice President and Director of Athletics Bill Maher said. "Anyone who ever spent any time with 'Doc' knew how special Canisius was to him. His legacy here will continue because of the opportunities he provided so many Canisius student-athletes, coaches and administrators. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones at this time."

During his career on Main Street, the Canisius athletic program grew from a small, men's-only program to a department that included 21 varsity sports with the addition of women's varsity athletics to the offering in 1975. He played a key role in helping the Griffs join the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in 1989, and he also played an instrumental role in the foundation of the ECAC Football Conference.

Starr's relationships with members of the NIT committee helped secure NIT bids for the men's basketball program 1985, 1994 and 1995. The 1995 appearance resulted in a trip to Madison Square Garden, as the Griffs advanced to the tournament's semifinal round after the team defeated Washington State in front of 8,883 fans in Buffalo' Memorial Auditorium. He was also the athletic director when Canisius won its only MAAC men's basketball crown, which came in 1996 under former head coach and National College Basketball Hall of Famer John Beilein, a man he hired to lead the Blue and Gold before the 1992-93 season.

"I am so sad to hear of Dan's passing," Beilein said. "He was one of a kind and I will forever be grateful to Dan for hiring me as the Canisius men's basketball head coach in 1992. May he go straight to Heaven as he was a devout Catholic who lived his faith well. R.I.P. Doc."

"Dan Starr was a unique athletic leader who combined scholarship and a concern for student-athlete welfare into a lifelong commitment to Canisius University and the City of Buffalo," former MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor said. "I valued his counsel greatly, enjoyed his storytelling, and when mail arrived from him, I always wondered what 30-year-old newspaper clip, photo or memo from me that he was just responding to all these years later, would arrive to make me smile.

"There have been few greater supporters of Buffalo than Dan, and his lobbying efforts to bring the MAAC and NCAA Basketball Tournaments to the city were essential, and those efforts continue to be realized to this day. Dan loved sports, he lived for history, politics, his family and his friends. He will be greatly missed."

Every female student-athlete to wear the Blue and Gold can credit their opportunity to Starr's diligence in moving the women's sports programs to varsity status in 1975. In the early years of the school's female athletic offerings, the 1982-83 Canisius women's basketball team earned the school's first berth into the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship, which resulted in a trip to the Elite 8. Starr also played a key role in starting the Canisius softball program in 1980. That team, under the direction of Hall of Fame head coach Mike Rappl '77, MS '80, won 476 games during Starr's tenure as athletic director, highlighted by six MAAC Softball Championships and five appearances in the NCAA Division I Softball Tournament.

In 1988, former Canisius cross country runner Mary Beth Riley '91 became the very first student-athlete in the country to be awarded the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. Just two years later, in 1990, the Canisius women's cross country team became the school's first female program to win a MAAC Championship,

"When I think of Canisius, I can only think of Dr. Starr and the impact he had on my life in the early Title IX years," Canisius women's basketball alumna and former head women's basketball coach Kara Rehbaum '84 said. "He cheered loudly from the sidelines when I was competing as a Lady Griff and nine years later, he hired me as the women's basketball coach. He gave depth, sincerity and always valued his staff while sharing an incredible sense of humor and pride for the Golden Griffins. I will miss his friendship and stories, but consider myself one of the lucky ones to have worked for him."

Among his many contributions to Canisius athletics, Starr made the decision to elevate the school's football program from club to varsity status in 1975, where it competed at both the NCAA Division III and I-AA levels. Prior to the 1977-78 basketball season, Starr chose to hire former head men's basketball coach Nick Macarchuk, the program's all-time winningest head coach, who played a vital role in restoring faith in the school's men's basketball program after a period of NCAA probation. He was actively involved in the planning, building and completion of the Demske Sports Complex, the outdoor home to multiple Canisius teams. Upon its opening in the fall of 1989, the facility was hailed as a model for urban campuses by the New York Times and the NCAA News.

Starr carried the Canisius banner off campus as well, serving on various community, regional and national committees, including the Empire State Games, the World University Games, various NCAA, MAAC and ECAC groups and he was a key advocate for bringing both the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament and the NCAA Frozen Four to the City of Buffalo. In retirement, he completed a comprehensive report on the state of the City of Buffalo high school athletic programs that included many documented recommendations that are in place to this day and he authored two books focused on the history and role athletics played on the Western New York community.

Starr earned his undergraduate degree in history from Canisius in 1958. A year later, he earned his master's degree from Rutgers before joining the Canisius faculty as a full-time history professor 1962. In 1967, he received his Ph.D., from Rutgers. He started his time in the Canisius athletic department under then-athletic director Bob MacKinnon, and also worked for former athletic director Jim Bedell from 1970-72. He was hired as the school's full-time athletic director in 1974 by former University President Rev. James. M Demske, S.J.

Enshrined into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame in 2000, he was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.

Funeral arrangements are pending, and a formal announcement will be made when those become available. A moment of silence to recognize Starr's contributions to Canisius University and the athletic department will be held before all Canisius home sporting events this weekend.

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