MIKE STARKE | DIRECTOR OF BASKETBALL SPORT PERFORMANCE

Mike Starke joined the Wake Forest basketball staff in May 2020 after serving in a similar role at East Tennessee State. Starke oversees all the strength and conditioning efforts related to the men’s basketball program including strength and physical development, conditioning, nutrition and recovery needs.

Starke’s efforts in the weight room and beyond helped build the program back to a top 50 program in college basketball, finishing at 42 in the NET rankings for the 2021-2022 season. In his second season at Wake Forest, the Demon Deacons finished with 25 wins, the most since the 2004-05 season, and 18 home wins, the most in program history.

Starke prepared multiple individual players to have personal-best seasons in multiple areas. He coached ACC Player of the Year Alondes Williams to gain strength in all areas during the season, doubling his court productivity from the previous year with 18.5 points, 5.2 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game. For much of the season, Williams led the league in scoring and assists.

Starke also coached Second Team All-ACC selection Jake LaRavia, who reached the 1,000 point and 500 rebound marks in his junior year. Under Starke’s guidance, graduate transfer Dallas Walton set career highs in almost every statistical category during his one season with the Demon Deacons.

The Deacs also ranked second in the ACC in total dunks with 119 on the season. Wake Forest finished the year with the fourth-largest year to year improvement in the NCAA.

In four seasons at East Tennessee State, the program had one of the winningest stretches in college basketball (106 wins in 4 seasons).  The Buccaneers won 2 Regular Season Championships, 2 Conference Tournament Championships, earned 2 trips to the NCAA Tournament, broke the school record for most wins in a season with 30 wins, and helped 13 student-athletes reach All-Conference honors, including a Conference Player of the Year, and 2 Conference Tournament MVP’s.

Prior to East Tennessee State, Starke had stints in the private sector at D1 Sports Training, and at the University of Miami, OH.

In 2015, Starke received his master’s degree from the University of Tennessee. At the University of Tennessee, Starke served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, and worked as a Strength and Conditioning Intern for the Men’s Basketball team. During the 2013-2014 season, the Volunteers made it to the Sweet 16, and Starke worked with 2 players that were selected in the NBA Draft.

Starke got his undergraduate degree from Concordia College (MN) in Exercise Science in 2013. There he was a 4-year letter winner and 3-year starter at Wide Receiver on the football team.

Starke resides in Winston-Salem with his wife Teresa, and their four children: Kinsley, Beckham, Oakland, and Maverick.