Old Dominion University athletic director Dr. Wood Selig announced today that Wendy Larry has stepped down as head women’s basketball coach. She will remain at the University, with responsibilities for assisting the Office of Institutional Advancement for athletic related fundraising projects, and Alumni events.
Larry’s career at Old Dominion spanned more than 30 years, as one of the first women student-athletes to receive a grant-in-aid to ODU, as a graduate and assistant coach, and as the head coach of the Lady Monarchs from 1987-2011. She became the 20th all-time coach to win 600 career games in December, and completes her tenure at ODU with a 608-234 overall record and 559-203 slate at ODU. Larry’s teams reached 20 NCAA Tournaments, captured a NCAA record setting 17-straight Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Titles from 1992-2008, and advanced to the championship game of the NCAA tournament in 1997.
“Wendy and Lady Monarch basketball are synonymous,” says Selig. “Wendy has been a consistent thread, as a student-athlete and coach, throughout much of our program’s national success. So many people I have met associate ODU with our highly successful women’s basketball program. We can all thank Wendy for the role she has played in helping with the national branding of our women’s basketball program.”
Larry was the recipient of Coach of the Year awards from three different leagues, most recently in 2010 with her eighth CAA Coach of the Year selection. She has also been recognized on the national level as well with WBCA District III, RCA, Sporting News, and in 1997 as the United States Women’s Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Coach of the Year.
“I was truly blessed to have coached hundreds of student-athletes who wore the Lady Monarch uniform with pride during my tenure at ODU,” says Larry. “I am forever grateful that the late President Marchello and Dr. Jim Jarett took a chance on me and brought me home.”
Prior to being named head coach at Old Dominion, Larry was the head coach at nearby Virginia Wesleyan College from 1978-79 and at the University of Arizona from 1985-87. She was named the PAC West Coach of the Year during the 1985-86 campaign as her Wildcat team posted a 19-9 record. In addition, Larry spent one year as the head coach at Cape Henry Collegiate High School in Virginia Beach in 1978.
She first returned to her alma mater under the guidance of women’s basketball hall of famer Marianne Stanley for the 1979-80 seasons as a graduate assistant coach, before being elevated to a full-time assistant. During that span, she was part of two Old Dominion national championships, in 1980 (AIAW) and 1985 (NCAA).
Larry was named her alma mater’s Head Coach in 1987 and crowned as the Sun Belt Coach of the Year. During the next two seasons, Old Dominion collected over 20 wins each year and advanced to second round NCAA play, posting marks of 23-9 (1988-89) and 21-10 (1989-90). In 1991-92, the team posted a 20-11 mark and advanced to the NCAA East Region.
The following season Larry and Old Dominion reach the NCAA Mideast second round with a record of 22-8. The Lady Monarchs reached the East Regional Round with a 25-6 ledger in 1993-94 and then the Sweet Sixteen in 1995-96 with a 29-3 mark. In the late 90’s, Old Dominion enjoyed a resurgence of national success with an appearance in the 1997 NCAA National Championship game against the Lady Vols of Tennessee in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Lady Monarchs closed out the `90s as regulars in the “Sweet 16”. Old Dominion advanced to the “Elite Eight” in 2002 and to the “Sweet 16” in 2008.
Nine of Larry’s former players have been drafted by the WNBA. Following the 2002 season, Larry witnessed four of her former Old Dominion student-athletes reach the pro ranks as Old Dominion joined Connecticut with the most athletes selected in the draft. Former Lady Monarchs Ticha Penicheiro and Hamchetou Maiga-Ba won the 2005 WNBA Championship with Sacramento Monarchs. Maiga-Ba was also featured on the world’s stage as she joined her native Mali national team in the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Wendy served a six-year term as President of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and as a member of the USA Basketball Collegiate Selection Committee. She was also involved with the USA Today Coaches Poll board, the NCAA East Regional Women’s Basketball Advisory Committee, and the advisory committee for Coaches vs. Cancer. Active in the Hampton Roads community, she sat on the Board of Directors for the Hampton Roads Habitat for Humanity. Larry was the honorary chair of the 2003 Race for the Cure in Hampton Roads, and her teams were active with the annual race. She supported the “Hoops for a Cure” event at the Ted Constant Convocation Center, which helps raise money for the Tidewater chapter of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. She initiated the Hampton Roads Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome awareness and was actively involved in “Out of the Darkness”, an event for suicide awareness. Wendy was the Hampton Roads Professional Woman of the Year in 2000.
Larry is a native of Bloomingdale, N.J., and was recently inducted into the Butler High School Hall of Fame in April.
A national search for a head coach will begin immediately.
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