Former Reynoldsburg, New Albany coach Dave Starling to lead Hilliard Bradley baseball team
Dave Starling is back where he wants to be — leading a high school baseball program.
The longtime coach, who led New Albany to the Division I state title in 2021, was tabbed Sept. 22 to lead Hilliard Bradley, pending school board approval.
Starling, 68, guided Reynoldsburg from 1983-2009 and New Albany from 2016 through last season. His contract at New Albany was not renewed despite winning district titles in each of the past four seasons.
“I wasn’t ready to give up the game, and this opportunity came open,” said Starling, who has 531 career wins, with 398 coming at Reynoldsburg. "I’m excited about having the chance to coach again. I wasn’t ready to hang it up. I have been blessed to have some success over the past few years and hope that continues at Bradley.”
Starling succeeds Xander Uxley, who resigned after going 20-32-1 in two seasons. The Jaguars were 10-14-1 overall and 4-10-1 in the OCC-Central Division last spring.
“His résumé speaks for itself, and not just in baseball,” Bradley athletics director Kaz Pata said. “He was at Reynoldsburg for two decades and went from there and had success at New Albany as well.
“Despite all of the experiences and success he has had, he also has the compassion piece. He wants contact with our other sports programs and encourages his kids to be multisport athletes. Also, for a guy with his résumé to be as humble as he is, that’s great. All of those things combined to make him the perfect candidate.”
Starling said one reason he decided to coach at Bradley was because of the vibe he got from being around the school.
“I know (Bradley football coach) Mike (LoParo) from when he was coaching at Reynoldsburg, and it seemed like a good fit,” said Starling, who was inducted into the Central District Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2009. “I’m excited about the opportunity.”
Starling was named state Coach of the Year in 2019. A 1972 graduate of Reynoldsburg, he led the Raiders to the Division I state tournament in 2004 and won two district titles and five league championships.
His players at Reynoldsburg included future major leaguers Eric Fryer and Mike Matheny, who is the current manager of the Kansas City Royals.
New Albany went 24-7 overall and 12-3 in the OCC-Ohio last season, losing to Grove City 2-0 in a regional final. The Eagles shared the OCC-Ohio title with the Greyhounds for their second league championship in three seasons.
In 2021, New Albany defeated Cincinnati Elder 6-5 to win its first state title since 2004 when it was in Division III. In the regional championship game, the Eagles knocked off second-ranked Olentangy Orange 3-1.
Orange is in the same league as Bradley. The OCC-Central also includes Dublin Coffman, Hilliard Davidson, Olentangy Liberty and Upper Arlington.
“Now I have to deal with (Orange) three times a year,” Starling said. “One downside to this job is that division (of the OCC) is brutal. I can’t imagine there being a better division in the state.
"In the (OCC-Ohio), if you go out and play a steady game of baseball, you could expect to win. Now you have to be on top of your game every night. There are no nights off. But that’s why you put the uniform on, and we’ll get the Jaguars ready to compete.”
Senior Carter Hanson (INF/P; special mention all-league) is expected to lead the returnees for the Jaguars. The Wofford commit batted .256 as a junior but led the squad in home runs (3) and RBI (20) and scored 18 runs. He also was 1-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 20 innings.
Junior Alex Koons (OF/P) batted .313 with two homers, 18 RBI and 10 runs, and junior Evan Rygalski (INF/P) hit .283 with 11 RBI and 19 runs. Senior Cam Collins (C) batted .233 with one homer, 10 RBI and seven runs.
Senior Ethan Williams (1-2, 25 1/3 innings, 2.49 ERA) and junior Diego Contreras (2-3, 20 1/3 innings, 4.85 ERA) are the other top pitchers expected to return.
“The administration and their new AD (Pata) seem to be so upbeat and positive,” Starling said. “To have an administration backing me is a comforting thought.
“I have been lucky enough to work with good kids and I hope to continue that at Hilliard Bradley. Everything happens for a reason, and I want to make the most of this. They seem equally excited to hand things over to me.”
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@ThisWeekHennen
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Dave Starling named Hilliard Bradley High School baseball coach
