Between coaching her AAU Team — the Metro Stars 2022 — to a four-overtime victory in the championship game of an AAU national tournament Sunday in Shakopee and waiting to hear if she would get the head girls' basketball coaching position at Hopkins, Tara Starks' stomach was a mess.
After an interview with Hopkins activities director Dan Johnson last week, Starks had expected to hear Friday if she landed the job, which came open after highly successful longtime coach Brian Cosgriff announced his resignation in July.
"My stomach was in knots for about the last week," Starks said. "Did I do everything right? Did I touch all the bases? I had a ton of support from the Hopkins families, but you just never know."
Johnson sent Starks an e-mail late Sunday night, asking her to come to the school Monday morning. When she arrived, Johnson offered her the job, which she accepted.
It will be her second stint coaching high school girls' basketball. She served as the junior varsity coach at Minneapolis North from 1999 to 2009 and spent one year as head coach of the Polars in 2010.
"This is a dream come true," said Starks, whose daughter, T.T., played at Hopkins and who is credited with much of the development of recently graduated superstar Paige Bueckers, who has moved on to the University of Connecticut.
Seven current Hopkins players — including top talents Amaya Battle, Taylor Woodson, Nunu Agara and Alayna Contreras — played for Starks' AAU team this summer.
Cosgriff coached Hopkins for 21 seasons, leading the school to seven state championships.
