George “Rosy” Starn was three-sport star at Wooster high School in Ohio. His athletic success continued at the College of Wooster where he played  football, baseball and basketball. In 1925, Starn  was signed by George Halas to play for his Chicago entry in the Americanan Basketball League but appeared in just one game. Starn won 24 games in three seasons of minor league baseball from 1927 to 1929. Starn coached basketball, football and baseball at Kent State University between 1935 and 1943. In eight seasons, his basketball teams posted 98-81 record and his football squads had a 34-28-2 record. he also served as the school’s first athletic director.

When twenty year old John Stark enrolled at Syracuse University in the fall of 1904 he was a veteran of four years of independent basketball. When the season began, it was quickly apparent that Stark was the best player on the  squad and had the potential to become a a  star college player. Just two months later, in early January of 1905, Stark  withdrew from from the university, got married and soon after went into business.  Stark returned to Syracuse fifteen year later as freshmen basketball coach.