Coaching Staff

Carroll LaHaye completed her 25th season as head women’s basketball coach at Randolph-Macon College in 2006-07.

In 2006-07 the Yellow Jackets became just the second team in the history of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference to capture three consecutive league championships. LaHaye and her squad then went on to the NCAA Tournament where they advanced to the "Sweet 16" for the third straight year and the for the fourth time in LaHaye's tenure.

LaHaye reached a personal milestone on February 10, 2007 when the Jackets topped Randolph-Macon Woman's College 63-33. With the victory, LaHaye became just the 21st coach in the history of Division III Women's Basketball to reach 400 career wins. LaHaye currently has a record of 410-257 including a 253-90 mark in the ODAC.

Over the last three seasons, LaHaye has led the program to an 84-10 overall mark and a 57-3 regular season ODAC record.

In 2005-06, R-MC captured its second consecutive ODAC title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years. The Yellow Jackets ended their season at 28-3 after advancing to the “Elite Eight” of the national tournament.

The 2004-05 Yellow Jacket squad was arguably the best-ever in the history of the program. Accomplishments included: winning the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) tournament for the second time in three years; finishing with the most wins in the program’s history at 30-2; becoming the first-ever women’s team in the ODAC to go 20-0; advancing to the NCAA tournament Final Four for the first time in the history of both R-MC and ODAC women’s basketball; finishing second in the NCAAs; achieving the longest winning streak in the history of the program at 23 games; and finishing ranked #2 in the nation and #1 in the South Region. LaHaye was named the ODAC Coach of the Year and the Virginia Sports Information Directors state Coach of the Year, and she earned her 200th conference victory early in the season. She was also recognized for her dedication as a faculty member at Randolph-Macon by receiving the Samuel Nelson Gray Distinguished Professor Award at the college’s 2005 honors convocation in the spring.

In 2003-04, Randolph-Macon finished 20-8 overall and 16-4 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), made it to the championship game of the conference tournament, and was ranked in the top 10 in the NCAA Division III South Region during the season as well as in the top 15 in the nation by DIII News in the preseason.

LaHaye’s 2002-03 squad was 20-10 overall, won the ODAC tournament, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III tournament following a first-round win at home. LaHaye earned her 300th career victory during the campaign, and she was named the Richmond Times-Dispatch newspaper’s Virginia state Coach of the Year.

After guiding her 1997-98 team to a record of 21-6, a first-place finish in the ODAC, and the NCAA tournament, LaHaye was honored as the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)/IKON District V Coach of the Year.

In 1998-99 the Yellow Jackets finished 23-5 overall, won the ODAC regular season championship with a 19-1 record, and made an appearance in the conference title game for the second time in four seasons. LaHaye was named the ODAC Coach of the Year for the third time in six years, and was also the VaSID Small College Coach of the Year for Divisions II-III.

During 1995-96, LaHaye’s team produced one of the most successful seasons in the history of the program, with a 28-2 record. The Yellow Jackets won two games in their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament, advancing to the “Sweet Sixteen.” That season LaHaye was named the ODAC Coach of the Year, the WBCA/Converse District V Coach of the Year, and the VaSID college Division II-III Coach of the Year.

Over the last 12 years, LaHaye’s teams have produced a 250-89 (.737) overall record, and have averaged 20 wins per season.

A native of Maine, LaHaye earned a bachelor’s degree cum laude in business management-recreation from the University of Maine-Machias in 1977. In addition to being an excellent student, she was a standout performer in basketball and volleyball.
Prior to coming to Randolph-Macon, LaHaye worked as a program director at the North Richmond YMCA and as program coordinator for the Hanover County Parks and Recreation Department. Since joining the Randolph-Macon athletic staff, besides her position as basketball coach, she also served as women’s athletic coordinator and head coach of soccer and lacrosse. In 1982, her lacrosse team finished fifth in the AIAW national tournament.

Currently, LaHaye is an assistant athletics director, director of physical education, and associate professor of physical education at Randolph-Macon. She is a member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

In addition to her other recent coaching honors, in 1998-99 LaHaye was selected by the American Women’s Sports Federation as one of eight Division III All-American coaches. Her sound philosophy is recognized by others in the field who strive to have outstanding student-athletes in their programs who can compete in the classroom as well as on the court and receive recognition for both.

Besides being recognized herself, LaHaye has also had many of her players receive post-season honors from the NCAA, American Women’s Sports Federation, the Virginia Sports Information Directors, and the ODAC. Several Yellow Jackets have been named All-Americans, both academic and athletic.

As a coach, LaHaye feels that her players can achieve success and meet individual goals in other phases of college life while participating in an intercollegiate sport. She demands top performance academically, and this is reflected in the excellent students that she has been able to attract to Randolph-Macon. Many of her players have achieved Dean’s List status as a result of their commitment to academics.

Coaching Honors

1995-96
ODAC Coach of theYear
WBCA/Converse Distict V Coach of the Year
VaSID Small College Coach of the Year for Divisions II-III

1997-98
IKON/Women's Basketball Coaches Association District V Coach of the Year

1998-99
ODAC Coach of the Year
VaSID Small College Coach of the Year for Divisions II-III

2002-03
Richmond Times-Dispatch newspaper state Coach of the Year

2004-05
ODAC Coach of the Year
VaSID College Division State Coach of the Year

2005-06
VaSID College Division State Coach of the Year

2006-07
VaSID College Division State Coach of the Year

Kirsten Richter
Assistant Coach
Email Coach Richter
(804) 752-4714

Kirsten Richter begins her second season at R-MC. Richter came to R-MC after spending the previous three seasons as an assistant coach at her alma-mater Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. As a member of the Diplomats staff, Richter was involved in all phases of the basketball program including in-game strategy, recruiting, conditioning as well as overseeing the team’s academics.

Richter was responsible for designing and implementing an offensive system that led the Centennial Conference in three-point field goal percentage (.298) and three-pointers made (140) in 2005-06.

During her stint with the Diplomats, Richter also contributed to on-court development that led to her players earning Centennial Conference Player-of-the-Year honors on two occasions and four all-conference team choices in her three seasons.

“Kirsten has been a great addition to our staff at this point in the program,” said LaHaye. “We will certainly value the experience she has and will take full advantage of it.”

On the court, Richter was a member of the F&M program from 2001-2003, serving as team-captain for one of those seasons. Richter earned her degree in government with a minor in public policy and then went on to receive her master of education in sports management degree from Millersville University in 2006. For her performance in the classroom, Richter was the recipient of the sport management graduate faculty award for academic excellence.

Jay Starke
Volunteer Assistant Coach

Jay Starke is in his fourth year on the Randolph-Macon College women’s basketball coaching staff in 2006-07. His primary emphasis is on post play and the development of forwards and centers. Starke came to Randolph-Macon from St. Gertrude High School in Richmond, Virginia, where he coached girls’ basketball for three seasons, from 2001-02 through 2003-04.

Born in Richmond, Starke graduated from Douglas Freeman High School and the University of Richmond. He began his basketball coaching career with the boys’ team at J.R. Tucker High School in Richmond for three seasons in the late 1970s and again in 1987-88. In all, Starke has 15 years of experience teaching basketball fundamentals and team play.

In between his coaching stints at J.R. Tucker and St. Gertrude, Starke left basketball to run for United States Congress in 1990.

Starke earned a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Richmond in 1973. Currently, he owns two insurance agencies. He and his wife, Kay, have three daughters.