Courtesy of Boston University Athletics Communications
BOSTON – One of the most decorated coaching careers in collegiate field hockey history has come to an end as Sally Starr has retired following a 45-year tenure as head coach of the Boston University field hockey program.
A member of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Hall of Fame Class of 2014, Starr ranks sixth all-time among Division I field hockey coaches in wins with 528 and no other Division I head coach in any women’s sport has served at one school longer than she has.
Starr came to BU just three years into the program’s infancy and turned it into a regional power, leading the Terriers to 15 NCAA Tournament appearances and 13 conference tournament titles.
She leaves her post with the Terriers holding the Patriot League crown as this year’s team made a thrilling run to the title as a No. 4 seed last month, upsetting top-seeded American in the semifinals before topping reigning champion Lafayette in the championship game.
Starr’s legacy will forever be defined by the sisterhood culture that she developed, recruiting players from around the country and around the world to Boston to play winning hockey and make lifelong friendships as part of what became known as BUFHA (Boston University Field Hockey Association/Athlete/Alumni).
“I have been fortunate to have the saying ‘do what you love and love what you do’ as the foundation of my career at Boston University,” said Starr. “From the bottom of my heart, I’d like to thank all the Terriers who have made my job so enjoyable and fulfilling over the years. It has brought much pride and joy following both their success in their chosen fields and how they continue to embrace their BUFHA sisters.
“I would like to thank Drew Marrochello and Boston University for their support throughout my tenure,” added Starr. “BU is a special place and it has been a true privilege to represent this institution alongside my staff and the amazing student-athletes who have come through the program. The success that we have achieved could not have occurred without the commitment and hard work by my assistants, particularly Tracey Paul for the past 26 years and the 10 years spent with Sarah Shute prior to her becoming the head coach at MIT. I am proud that we were able to hoist the Patriot League trophy one more time this season, and we have worked hard to ensure the future success of the program with outstanding athletes committed to be a Terrier over the next two years.”
Named the NFHCA Northeast Region Coach of the Year three times in her storied career (2005, 2007, 2017), Starr molded the Terriers into a nationally ranked program in the mid-1980s and had 26 of her teams finish the year in the national rankings, including six top-10 finishes.
BU won eight America East conference titles under Starr before the athletic department moved to the Patriot League in 2013. The Terriers continued their success, winning four consecutive Patriot League regular-season titles from 2015-18 – in addition to another in 2022 – and claiming the tournament title five times (2014, 2015, 2017, 2025). Starr was named conference coach of the year 12 times – six in each conference.
“Sally is truly a coaching legend,” said BU director of athletics Drew Marrochello. “The powerful impact she’s had on hundreds of Terriers is remarkable, and the pride, enthusiasm and care that she led our field hockey program with will forever define her storied legacy. Her sustained success garnered well-earned respect nationally for both her and BU, creating a standard of excellence within BUFHA that has been passed along for decades. Sally’s dedication to BU is simply unmatched, and we all have been fortunate to have such a terrific leader – and great person – be associated with our University.”
Starr’s career included 19 conference regular-season titles, 23 appearances in conference title games, three ECAC Tournament appearances and the 1987 ECAC championship.
In just her fourth season at BU in 1985, Starr led BU to its best season ever with a 17-4-2 record and a trip to the NCAA semifinals. The Terriers wrapped up that season ranked fourth in the country after nearly making it to the championship game, falling to eventual national champion Connecticut by one goal.
Starr and the Terriers earned back-to-back NCAA appearances for the first time in program history in 1999 and 2000 before repeating the feat in 2005 and 2006 and again in 2014 and 2015. In 2007, BU made it three straight league titles and enjoyed its winningest season ever. The Terriers posted an 18-6 record and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time since 1991. The 1996 season also ranks among Starr’s most successful as BU had 16 regular-season wins, received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, and finished the year ranked eighth in the nation.
Starr coached 43 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) All-Americans at BU, including nine first-team selections, and 93 of her players earned a combined 154 all-region selections. Twenty-one of her players received conference player of the year honors, and 11 were conference rookies of the year. Terrier players earned all-conference honors a total of 165 times under Starr and 16 of her players have been elected to the BU Athletic Hall of Fame.
Including the two years she spent as head coach of Bucknell, Starr totaled a 528-371-21 coaching record. She became the sixth Division I coach to reach the 500-win mark with a 3-0 triumph over Holy Cross on Sept. 24, 2022.
Starr also spent six seasons as head coach of the Terriers’ women’s lacrosse team (1982-87) and was an assistant softball coach for that program’s first two seasons (1988-89).
A native of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, Starr played scholastically at Shawnee High School and was one of the school’s inaugural Hall of Fame members in September 2007. In 1978, Starr went on to graduate from Ursinus College, where she helped the field hockey team reach three consecutive AIAW Division I championship games and was enshrined into the school’s Hall of Fame in 1994.