Bio

Byron Starks begins his second year at the helm of the Men's Basketball program. Starks, a native of Grambling, LA., came to BRCC after five seasons as Head Coach at LSU-Eunice where he led the Bengals to an 84-33 record and an impressive 39-6 mark in conference play. LSU Eunice won four Louisiana Community College Athletic Conference (LCCAC) titles and he has been named the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches (LABC) Junior College Coach of the Year five times. During his first season at BRCC, the Bears were the LCCAC Champions and made it to the Region 23 Elite 8. Starks also earned LCCAC Coach of the Year.

Starks was a successful high school coach prior to his time at LSU Eunice, as he led the Lafayette Christian Academy Knights to a 170-28 record and winning the 2017 and 2018 LHSAA Division IV State Championships. In Stark’s tenure, LCA made five-consecutive Top 28 appearances, won five district championships, and compiled an impressive 60-2 record in district play. In his second season at Lafayette Christian, Starks was named the 2014 LHSAA Class 1A Coach of the Year.

Starks had an outstanding prep career at Grambling High School for Hall of Fame coach Michael Lyons and was named the top-rated player in the state in 1990. He  went on to have a stellar career for the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now UL- Lafayette) under coach Marty Fletcher, helping his teams advance to the NCAA March Madness Tournament in 1992 and 1994. He was a two-time First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection and helped lead the Ragin’ Cajuns to the school’s only win in the tournament a 1992 upset of Oklahoma.  He finished his college career with 1,592 points, currently 11^th all-time at the school. In 2011, Starks was inducted into the Ragin’ Cajun Hall of Fame. He played one year of professional basketball in the Netherlands before returning home to begin his coaching career.

In addition to his coaching career, Starks is the founder and executive director of Champions International, Inc., a motivational non-profit corporation that teaches leadership skills and offers mentoring programs for young people.
 
He received a Bachelor's degree from USL and a Master's in Education from LSU Shreveport.   Starks and his wife, Angel, have three children: B.J., Christon and Caleb.

Significant achievements during year at BRCC:

2024 LCCAC Champions 

2024 Region 23 Elite 8

2024 LCCAC Coach of the Year

2024 LABC Junior College Coach of the Year (5th in a Row)

Significant achievements while at LSUE, a member of the Louisiana Community College Athletic Conference:

LCCAC Champions, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

Region 23 Final Four, 2022

Region 23 Elite 8, 2020, 2022, 2023

Four times Junior College Coach of the Year

Significant achievements while a high school coach:

2012-2018 Lafayette Christian Academy Head Basketball Coach

2018 LHSAA DIVISION IV STATE CHAMPIONS

2017 LHSAA DIVISION IV STATE CHAMPIONS

2016 Top 28 Class A Semi-Finalist

2015 Top 28 Class A Finalist

2014 Top 28 Class A Semi-Finalist

2014 LHSAA Class A State Coach of the Year