Starsia signs five-year contract

With everything that happened off the field over the course of the last two seasons, there was some speculation that Virginia men’s lacrosse coach Dom Starsia might be thinking about winding down his Hall of Fame career.

As it turns out, Starsia’s going to be here for a while.

The 59-year-old, whose team hosts VMI in its home opener tonight at Klockner Stadium, has signed a new five-year contract that will keep him on the sidelines through the 2016 season.

"With this new contract we're acknowledging the sustained level of success of our program and the contributions Coach Starsia has made across the board,” said Virginia Athletic Director Craig Littlepage. “He is a Hall of Fame coach who has had a profound and positive impact on college lacrosse, college athletics, and the University community."

Starsia, due to a University policy prohibiting lacrosse coaches and players from talking with the media until the completion of the trial involving former UVa player George Huguely, could not comment.

According to the terms of the new contract, which was obtained by The Daily Progress through a public records request, Starsia will make $250,000 annually, an increase of over 60 percent from his previous deal.

Starsia, entering his 20th year at Virginia, can earn a longevity bonus of $225,000 if he is still the coach on Jan. 24, 2015 and an additional payout of $150,000 if he’s the coach on Jan. 24 of 2017.

Starsia’s contract had been set to expire at the conclusion of this season.

In the new agreement, Starsia has several performance-related incentives, such as a bonus of 1 1/2 months salary for winning the NCAA championship, plus a $5,000 bonus from Nike.

Other perks of the deal include six football and four basketball season tickets and the use of a vehicle.

Last season, Starsia led Virginia to an unexpected fifth NCAA championship (the program’s fourth with Starsia at the helm).

It was at times a tumultuous journey. Starsia suspended Rhamel and Shamel Bratton, two of his best players for repeated team rules violations, and a third, Colin Briggs, on the eve of the Final Four.

“It felt like, ‘Oh my goodness, how much more of this can I take?’” said Starsia in an interview last summer with the Daily Progress. “People were saying to me, ‘God only gives people as much as they can handle.’ I felt like, ‘You know, I’m just about filled up here!’”

Virginia had lost four of its final six regular-season games last season before getting hot at just the right time and going on its NCAA Tournament run.

For Starsia, there seemed to be a level of validation when his team was able to beat Maryland in the finals.

“This moment right now is particularly gratifying when you consider all that we had to endure to put ourselves into a position to be able to do this,” said Starsia, following the game last May. “At this moment right now — I don’t remember a situation that has probably been more satisfying overall.”

The championship came on the heels of a 2010 season that had been marred by the death of Virginia women’s lacrosse player Yeardley Love. Four days after the tragedy, Starsia’s father, Dominic, died after a prolonged illness.