Larry Hunter
Biographical details
Born(1949-08-08)August 8, 1949
Athens, Ohio, U.S.
DiedMay 4, 2018(2018-05-04) (aged 68)
Cary, North Carolina, U.S.
Playing career
Basketball
1970–1971Ohio
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Basketball
1971–1973Marietta (assistant)
1973–1976Wittenberg (assistant)
1976–1989Wittenberg
1989–2001Ohio
2001–2002NC State (assistant)
2002–2005NC State (associate HC)
2005–2018Western Carolina
Soccer
1973–1975Wittenberg
Head coaching record
Overall702–453 (basketball)
11–20–1 (soccer)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Basketball
NCAA Division III tournament (1977)
6 OAC tournament (1979, 1981–1983, 1985, 1987)
4 OAC regular season (1980, 1981, 1985, 1989)
MAC tournament (1994)
MAC regular season (1994)
2 OAC Southern Division (1977, 1978)
2 SoCon North Division (2009, 2011)
Awards
Basketball
NABC Division III Coach of the Year (1977)
2× OAC Coach of the Year (1980, 1989)
MAC Coach of the Year (1994)

Larry Hunter (August 8, 1949 – May 4, 2018)[1][2] was an American former college basketball coach. He served as the head basketball coach at Wittenberg University from 1976 to 1989, Ohio University from 1989 to 2001, and Western Carolina University from 2005 to 2018, compiling a career college basketball coaching record of 702–453.[3] As head coach of the Ohio Bobcats men's basketball team from 1989 to 2001, he had a record of 204–148.[4] His Bobcats teams made one NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament appearance in 1994, an NIT appearance in 1995, and won the Preseason NIT in 1994. Despite his winning record and being second on Ohios' all-time wins list with only two losing seasons, he was fired in 2001.[4] Hunter also played at Ohio University from 1970 to 1971.[5]

Ohio hired its alumnus away from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. Hunter was the head coach at Wittenberg for 13 seasons, leading the Tigers to the program's second NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament championship, in 1977, and garnered NABC Division III National Coach of the Year the same year.[6] He was the first coach in NCAA history to win a national championship in his first season at a school. In total, Hunter won six regular season Ohio Athletic Conference championships and six Ohio Athletic Conference tournament championships during his tenure at Wittenberg. Before moving to Western Carolina University, he was an assistant coach and an associate head coach under Herb Sendek at North Carolina State University.[6] On March 4, 2018, Hunter announced that he was stepping down as coach of Western Carolina.

Less than two months after he stepped down at Western Carolina, he suffered a stroke and was sent to a hospital in Cary, North Carolina, where he died less than a week later.[7]

Head coaching record

Basketball

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Wittenberg Tigers (Ohio Athletic Conference) (1976–1989)
1976–77 Wittenberg 23–5 10–2 1st (Southern) NCAA Division III champions
1977–78 Wittenberg 16–7 9–3 1st (Southern)
1978–79 Wittenberg 23–6 10–3 3rd NCAA Division III Regional Runner-up
1979–80 Wittenberg 29–3 13–0 1st NCAA Division III Third Place
1980–81 Wittenberg 28–3 12–1 T–1st NCAA Division III Regional Runner-up
1981–82 Wittenberg 20–10 10–3 T–2nd NCAA Division III Regional Fourth Place
1982–83 Wittenberg 26–6 10–3 T–2nd NCAA Division III Runner-up
1983–84 Wittenberg 18–9 10–3 T–2nd
1984–85 Wittenberg 27–4 14–2 T–1st NCAA Division III Quarterfinal
1985–86 Wittenberg 23–5 13–3 2nd NCAA Division Regional third place
1986–87 Wittenberg 25–8 12–3 2nd NCAA Division III Third Place
1987–88 Wittenberg 20–7 12–4 T–2nd
1988–89 Wittenberg 27–3 15–1 1st NCAA Division III Regional Runner-up
Wittenberg: 305–76 (.801) 150–31 (.829)
Ohio Bobcats (Mid-American Conference) (1989–2001)
1989–90 Ohio 12–16 5–11 8th
1990–91 Ohio 16–12 9–7 5th
1991–92 Ohio 18–10 10–6 4th
1992–93 Ohio 14–13 11–7 4th
1993–94 Ohio 25–8 14–4 1st NCAA Division I First Round
1994–95 Ohio 24–10 13–5 2nd NIT Second Round
1995–96 Ohio 16–14 11–7 4th
1996–97 Ohio 17–10 12–6 3rd
1997–98 Ohio 5–21 3–15 6th (East)
1998–99 Ohio 18–10 12–6 4th (East)
1999–00 Ohio 20–13 11–7 5th (East)
2000–01 Ohio 19–11 12–6 3rd (East)
Ohio: 204–148 (.580) 123–87 (.586)
Western Carolina Catamounts (Southern Conference) (2005–2018)
2005–06 Western Carolina 13–17[8] 7–7[8] 3rd (North)[9]
2006–07 Western Carolina 11–20[10] 7–11[10] 3rd (North)[11]
2007–08 Western Carolina 10–21[12] 6–14[12] 5th (North)[13]
2008–09 Western Carolina 16–15[14] 11–9[14] T–1st (North)[15]
2009–10 Western Carolina 22–12[16] 11–7[16] 2nd (North)[17] CIT First Round[16]
2010–11 Western Carolina 18–15[18] 12–6[18] T–1st (North)[19]
2011–12 Western Carolina 17–18[20] 8–10[20] T–3rd (North)[21]
2012–13 Western Carolina 14–19[22] 9–9[22] T–5th[23]
2013–14 Western Carolina 19–15 10–6 5th
2014–15 Western Carolina 15–17 9–9 4th
2015–16 Western Carolina 16–18 10–8 T–5th CBI First Round
2016–17 Western Carolina 9–23 4–14 T–8th
2017–18 Western Carolina 13–19 8–10 6th
Western Carolina: 193–229 (.457) 112–120 (.483)
Total: 702–453 (.608)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Soccer

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Wittenberg Tigers (Ohio Athletic Conference) (1973–1975)
1973 Wittenberg 3–9 2–7 9th
1974 Wittenberg 3–7 3–5 8th
1975 Wittenberg 5–4–1 1–3–1 5th (Southern)
Wittenberg: 11–20–1 (.359) 6–15–1 (.295)
Total: 11–20–1 (.359)

See also

References

  1. ^ Former WCU coach Larry Hunter dead at 68
  2. ^ Larry Hunter Western Carolina Basketball Coach – Daily Catamount Archived January 21, 2013, at archive.today
  3. ^ "Western Carolina's Larry Hunter Stepping Down After 13 Seasons". Archived from the original on June 9, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  4. ^ a b NC State assistant makes in-state move – Men's College Basketball – ESPN
  5. ^ 2011–12 Ohio men's basketball media guide, Page 86
  6. ^ a b Hunter has spent four seasons on NC State staff – Men's College Basketball – ESPN
  7. ^ "Larry Hunter, former coach for Ohio and Western Carolina, dies". ESPN.com. Associated Press. May 4, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  8. ^ a b Western Carolina Catamounts Basketball 2005–06 Schedule – Catamounts Home and Away – ESPN
  9. ^ Southern Conference Standings (2005–06) – College Basketball – ESPN
  10. ^ a b Western Carolina Catamounts Basketball 2006–07 Schedule – Catamounts Home and Away – ESPN
  11. ^ Southern Conference Standings (2006–07) – College Basketball – ESPN
  12. ^ a b Western Carolina Catamounts Basketball 2007–08 Schedule – Catamounts Home and Away – ESPN
  13. ^ Southern Conference Standings (2007–08) – College Basketball – ESPN
  14. ^ a b Western Carolina Catamounts Basketball 2008–09 Schedule – Catamounts Home and Away – ESPN
  15. ^ Southern Conference Standings (2008–09) – College Basketball – ESPN
  16. ^ a b c Western Carolina Catamounts Basketball 2009–10 Schedule – Catamounts Home and Away – ESPN
  17. ^ Southern Conference Standings (2009–10) – College Basketball – ESPN
  18. ^ a b Western Carolina Catamounts Basketball 2010–11 Schedule – Catamounts Home and Away – ESPN
  19. ^ Southern Conference Standings (2010–11) – College Basketball – ESPN
  20. ^ a b Western Carolina Catamounts Basketball 2011–12 Schedule – Catamounts Home and Away – ESPN
  21. ^ Southern Conference Standings (2011–12) – College Basketball – ESPN
  22. ^ a b Western Carolina Catamounts Basketball 2012–13 Schedule – Catamounts Home and Away – ESPN
  23. ^ Southern Conference Standings (2012–13) – College Basketball – ESPN
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