THURSTON – Browning Stupp, a veteran soccer coach from Texas, was hired to take over the Colts girls program, Thurston athletic director Justin Starck said.
“I’m very excited about him,” said Starck, who also serves as head coach of the football team. “He has a tremendous resume. He has tremendous references, including his current boss in his position at Hamlin, who gives him very high praise. We just couldn’t be happier, and we can’t wait for him to meet the girls and their parents.”
Stupp brings 25 years of coaching experience, including 23 years as a head coach. He recently moved from Texas to the Thurston area. Stupp has more than 300 combined victories from high schools to club teams, from Montana to Texas.
His most recent experience was at North Crowley High School in Fort Worth, where he compiled a 215-91-34 boys record and 52-20-11 girls record. His teams combined for a 34-22-8 overall record in 2022-23
“I jumped at the chance to coach in my own community,” Stupp said while referencing long commutes across suburban Texas. ”It’s where the kids in your own neighborhood go on to play and you develop them up throughout high school. It’s a chance to give back to the community. I can’t think of a better place to coach than that.”
Stupp
Last season, under interim coach Jessica Cardwell, the Colts finished 10-5 overall and 4-2 in the Midwestern League. Thurston lost 3-2 to Putnam in the first round of the playoffs. They finished #8 in the state.
“High praise to coach Cardwell,” Starck said. “She agreed to fill in while we continued to search,” he said.
Community feel
Stupp and his family relocated from Texas about a year and a half ago, he said. His 12-year-old daughter chose Thurston as her new high school. Though Stupp and his family searched all around the Eugene area for a new home – including several coaching offers from the Eugene area – they found Thurston the most appealing. Despite the other offers, Thurston was Stupp’s first and only application.
“People seem to take a lot of pride in Thurston,” Stupp said. “It’s such an inviting community with alumni, players, and kids. Our realtor turned us on because he’s a friend of ours, and he’s a Thurston graduate. Also, Justin has a great reputation as an athletic director. Even though I hadn’t met him before, I had already heard so much about him. I eventually realized this was the only place I really wanted to coach. Along with that, my daughter is going to go here.“
Stupp hopes to return Thurston to its former glory days as a state championship-level team. He emphasizes a forward-style play, focusing on both offensive and defensive skills.
CRAIG STROBECK / CHRONICLE PHOTO
“I understand Thurston wants to get back to the pinnacle of where they were before,” Stupp said. “And to build that, you’ve got to play the best. Thurston has a pretty good stock of good players. For me, I just need to figure out how to meet them at their place and get the best out of them. That’s pretty much my goal. It sounds like we have some great assistant coaches, Thurston alumni, and college players. We have a good foundation.”
Above all, Stupp said that his core philosophy in setting the players up for success lies in instilling confidence.
“I’ve always had a simple philosophy for my players,” Stupp said. “It’s the same question my dad would ask me in the stands in Germany. He would ask me one question at the end of every game I played: ‘Are you proud of what you did?’ That’s what I also ask my players. Regardless of whether it’s at the end of practice, the end of games, the end of the season, or a state championship. That’s my goal – I’m going to figure out what is going to make Thurston girls proud, and whatever that is, I’m going to work hard to get them there.”
Starck organized a “Meet and Greet” for Stupp on Wednesday, Feb. 12. He told The Chronicle he wants the gathering to help provide a comfortable atmosphere for the Thurston community to meet Stupp.
