CLINTON, S.C. – Presbyterian Blue Hose head men’s basketball coach Quinton Ferrell announced the additions of Andrew Thiede and Kenny Starr to the Blue Hose coaching staff. Thiede is the men’s basketball program’s strength and conditioning coach and the director of basketball operations. Starr will be the video coordinator.
ANDREW THIEDE
Thiede joins Presbyterian’s coaching staff after spending the last three years as the head strength and conditioning coach at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan.
“Andrew Thiede comes to our program with tremendous pedigree and experience,” Ferrell said. “I’m very excited for the program and our current student-athletes with Andrew’s arrival. Andrew’s ability to assist in making our players bigger, stronger, and faster will be key to our success this season and the overall development of our players. Coach Thiede is very organized and strategic in what he does. The level of passion he displays is something that stood out to me as it pertains to his craft and pouring into young people. I look forward to seeing the results of his work with our student-athletes. I’m thrilled to welcome him and his wife to the PC family!”
While at Ferris State University, he was responsible for the development of 12 Division II athletic teams with over 300 student-athletes. During that time, he was the lead in developing, planning, and organizing a high functioning 6,000 square foot weight room and the development and maintenance of the nutrition center.
Before Ferris State, Thiede was a personal trainer and chiropractic assistant at Midland Sports Rehab in Midland, Michigan.
Thiede brings significant collegiate experience in the strength and conditioning field. He served as a football strength and conditioning intern at the University of Michigan in 2019-20 and Strength and Conditioning Coordinator at Kalamazoo College from 2017-19. At Kalamazoo, he worked with over 200 student-athletes in 11 sports.
A certified strength and conditioning specialist, Andrew played college football at Kalamazoo College, As a senior in 2017, he was a team captain. After graduating from Kalamazoo College, he spent two years as a defensive line coach at Kalamazoo. In 2018, he was a strength and conditioning intern at Western Michigan in 2018.
The Sterling Heights, Michigan native earned his bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from Kalamazoo College in 2017 and a master’s degree in exercise physiology from Western Michigan in 2018.
“I am extremely excited to be joining the men’s basketball program at Presbyterian,” Thiede said. “I am looking forward to getting to work with the team and really push the performance and development of the men in the program.”
KENNY STARR
Kenny Starr joins the Blue Hose coaching staff after serving as a student manager for the University of Pittsburgh men’s basketball program for five years.
“Kenny Starr comes to PC after very successful seasons at the University of Pittsburgh,” Ferrell said. “Kenny will serve in the role of Video Coordinator. Kenny has experience in a variety of roles which will allow him to impact our program in numerous ways. Kenny is a smart and passionate up-and-coming young coach, I’m thrilled to have him as a member of our program.”
Before Presbyterian, he was a student manager at Pitt from 2019-24. In this role, he assisted with day-to-day operations, video scouting and analytics, skill development, and on-campus recruiting. At Pitt, he played a role in the development of All-ACC players Jamarius Burton, Blake Hinson, and Bub Carrington as well as ACC Sixth Man of the Year winners Ishmael Leggett and Nike Sibande.
In 2024, the Clearfield, Pennsylvania native graduated from Pitt with a bachelor’s degree in data methods and language in healthcare and a minor in Swedish.
“I am very excited for the opportunity afforded to me by Coach Ferrell and his staff,” Starr said “I am excited to build something special at PC and to help develop our players on and off the court.”
