Springfield, Ohio – The Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame will welcome another tremendous class of inductees in May 2016, and once again the Wittenberg Tigers are represented with the selection of former Tiger head coach Larry Hunter.
Hunter, who coached Wittenberg men’s basketball from 1976 to 1989, joins Bert Price, class of 1961; Pam Evans Smith, class of 1982; Brian Agler, class of 1980; Don Henderson, class of 1954; Frank Shannon, class of 1940; Eldon Miller, class of 1962; Al Thrasher, class of 1964; and Ray Mears, who coached the Tigers from 1956-62, in the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame. In addition, the 1961 Wittenberg men’s basketball team, which captured the university’s first national championship in any sport, and the 1977 national championship men’s basketball team were both inducted in 2006 as part of the inaugural Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame & Museum induction class.
The Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame will induct its 10th class on Saturday, May 21, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, starting with a reception at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6:15 p.m., and the ceremony at 7:15 p.m. Hunter is part of a Class of 2016 that includes 10 former college basketball players, five coaches, a women’s basketball pioneer, an official and three Miami University championship teams.
“All of Tiger Basketball Nation is extremely happy about Larry's selection for induction into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame,” said current Wittenberg Men’s Basketball Head Coach Bill Brown. “Our program here at Wittenberg is very, very fortunate that he headed it up for the 13 years he did. And given the fact that he was both an achieving player and head coach at Ohio University, as well as an outstanding head coach here at Wittenberg, Larry is extremely deserving of this honor."
A 1971 graduate of Ohio University, Hunter made the most of his first head coaching opportunity at Wittenberg, compiling a record of 305-76, good for an .801 winning percentage, from 1976 through 1989, when he returned to his alma mater to coach the Bobcats. The winning started immediately for Hunter at Wittenberg, as he guided the Tigers to the NCAA Division III Championship in 1977 and earned NCAA Division III Coach of the Year honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
It was the start of a tremendous run on the sidelines at Wittenberg, including four NCAA Division III Tournament semifinal (Final Four) appearances, six Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) regular season titles, six OAC Tournament titles, and a runner-up finish in the 1983 NCAA Division III Tournament. Hunter earned six district coach of the year awards and two OAC coach of the year awards during his Wittenberg career.
“There is no more deserving individual to be inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame than Coach Hunter,” said Brian Agler, current head coach of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks and the point guard for Hunter’s Wittenberg NCAA Division III Championship team in 1977. “His incredible string of successful years at Wittenberg, including the program’s second national championship, multiple Final Fours, numerous conference championship, and so many individual awards is unmatched.
“His influence on his student-athletes’ lives carried over into the classroom, beyond the sidelines and into each of their futures and professions. He gave each of us a strong foundation to build successful lives and to withstand and to fight through the adversity that life brings. Not only did he carry on the Wittenberg tradition and culture, but he enhanced, strengthened and helped build it into the top NCAA Division III program in the country.”
At Ohio University, Hunter posted a record of 204-148 from 1989-2001. He led the Bobcats to the 1994 NCAA Division I Tournament and the 1995 National Invitational Tournament (NIT). After four years as an assistant coach at North Carolina State, Hunter moved back into the head coach role at Western Carolina in 2005. He has a record of 171-186 in 11 seasons leading the Catamounts.
The Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame was formed in 2006 to recognize the achievements of both male and female basketball players, coaches, officials and teams in high school, college and professional basketball. For more information or to reserve tickets to attend the 2016 induction ceremony, log on to http://ohiobasketballhalloffame.com/.
Written By: Ryan Maurer