George Starr
George Starr, a legendary voice and figure of Lee University Athletics for more than 30 years, will be retiring from his full time role as Sports Information Director but will be staying on as the Director of Radio Broadcasting and Voice of the Flames for the Lee Athletic Department effective July 1.
Mr. Starr began his career at Lee as the Sports Information Director in 1997 and has been the voice of Lee University Basketball for 31 years. While a gifted and talented leader, writer, photographer and broadcaster perhaps his greatest attribute is his genuine love and devotion for Lee athletics, the student athletes and the coaches. He worked tirelessly each and every year to share their stories and promote their successes both on and off the playing field.
“George is a huge part of the fabric of Lee athletics. I have often called him ‘the hardest-working person at Lee’, and I think that’s true,” said Lee University President Dr. Paul Conn. “It’s hard to imagine a more productive Sports Information officer than George has been. In addition to all that, he is a personal friend, and I will miss seeing him around campus on an every-day basis. He has certainly earned a happy retirement, but Lee is suffering a big loss as he goes.”
Mr. Starr captured the excitement on the field with eloquent words that allowed fans to experience the thrill of many Lee victories over the years. He covered eight NCCAA National Championships, four consecutive NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championships and three Gulf South Conference Championships as well as deep postseason runs in several different sports each and every season. He would also guide the publicity of Lee’s transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II in 2012.
“When you think of Lee Athletics the name that comes to mind is George Starr,” said Lee Athletic Director Larry Carpenter. “I can think of no one who loves Lee University Athletics more than he. You can sense the pride he has in the players and coaches by reading his stories or listening to his broadcasts. He has assembled and led an outstanding Sports Information department, one that exudes professionalism and is considered one of the best in D2.”
Under the leadership of Mr. Starr the office produced numerous award winning Media Guides for volleyball, women’s soccer, men’s soccer, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, golf, tennis, baseball and softball. Mr. Starr oversaw the content for the Lee athletics website and led efforts to provide live stats and live streaming for all home volleyball, soccer, basketball, baseball and softball games. When he wasn’t broadcasting the event you were sure to find him capturing the key moments of the game with his camera.
“Since relocating to the Cleveland area and accepting a newspaper position at the Daily Banner over 40 years ago, Lee University has been a huge part of my everyday life, first while covering the Flames (Vikings) for the newspaper and later doing radio broadcasts while continuing to perform my demanding duties for the Banner,” said Mr. Starr. “When the sports information position opened at Lee over 20 years ago, Dr. Paul Conn and athletic director Larry Carpenter afforded me the opportunity to jump head first into this new challenge, and what a wonderful blessing it has been. I have worked with so many great coaches, athletes and administrators.”
In 1998 Mr. Starr began broadcasting baseball games and joined the Lee baseball team on seven different trips to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho where they finished in the top four on six different occasions. Throughout many exciting moments on the court and the diamond it was the voice of George Starr that brought the events to life for the listeners.
“I am excited about the next chapter in George’s life. In his new role, he will be able to focus more on our broadcasts which I hope will include doing additional play by play in some of the other sports that we currently livestream,” noted Mr. Carpenter. “His passion is writing feature articles about present and former coaches and athletes and this will allow him to devote more time for that. I look forward to working with George for several more years in this new capacity and I think our fans will enjoy what he has in store for us.”
Starr was inducted into the Lee Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006 and is also a member of the Greater Chattanooga Sports Writers Hall of Fame.
“Hopefully, I have played a small role as the athletic programs grew from the NCCAA to NAIA and now seeing Lee become a solid contender in NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference,” Starr said. “Watching our teams win championships and then putting those experiences into words is a wonderful feeling.”
The native of Athens, Tn., came to Lee with a lot of media experience. Starr began his career as the sports editor at the Daily Post Athenian in Athens. From there he worked 12 years as the sports editor at the Cleveland Daily Banner before moving on to become a sports writer at the Chattanooga Free Press for four years. He went back to the Cleveland Daily Banner in the role of Managing and Executive Editor for five years before coming to Lee.
“For a man who has spent his entire life being involved in sports, I must thank God for these special blessings. He and my wife Joyce have been by my side as I traveled across the country covering Lee athletics. Dr. Conn and Coach Carpenter have helped motivate me with their encouraging words. I could never have asked for any more support from these leaders,” concluded Starr.