Larry Hays
| Larry Hays | |
|---|---|
| Sport(s) | Baseball |
| Current position | |
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Texas Tech |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | Elida, New Mexico |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1987-2008 | Texas Tech |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 1,509–860 |
Larry Hays was the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team from 1987 to 2008, and currently coaches women's softball at Lubbock Christian University.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Hays was born in Elida, New Mexico, but went to school in Dora, where he played basketball and baseball in high school. After graduating from high school in the early 1960s, Hays attended Eastern New Mexico University in Portales. He was on the school's basketball team but played very little. As Hays put it, "I've always liked to say when I was at Eastern, that I averaged 30 a game. When I said that, people looked at me, and I would say '30 seconds, not 30 points."[1]
After receiving a bachelor's degree from ENMU, Hays went on to Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas where he earned his master's degree and pursued a Ph.D. He met all of the requirements of the latter but was hired to coach before completing his dissertation and never returned to the task.[1]
[edit] Coaching career
[edit] Lubbock Christian
Hays began his coaching career when he was hired as the assistant basketball coach of the Lubbock Christian University Chapparals. He was promoted to head coach in 1969. When Lubbock Christian added baseball in 1971, he coached both teams for eight years before focusing exclusively on the latter. He led the Chaps to an NAIA national championship in 1983.[1] He served as athletic director from 1979 to 1987.
[edit] Texas Tech
Hays became the head coach at Texas Tech in 1987. In his time there, he led the Red Raiders to three conference championships and nine NCAA tournament appearances and posted a winning season every year but his first[1] and final. At the time he arrived, Texas Tech had only won 525 games since the school reentered baseball in 1954.
In 2005, Hays became the fourth coach ever to gain 1,400 wins.
[edit] 800 wins at Texas Tech
On March 21, 2008, Hays won his 800th game at Texas Tech when the Red Raiders defeated the #13 Texas Longhorns by a score of 7–5.[2]
[edit] 1,500 career wins
On April 2, 2008, Hays became just the fourth coach in NCAA baseball history to win 1,500 games, 805 with the Red Raiders, with a 10-5 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in his 22nd year as Texas Tech's head coach.[3][4][5]
[edit] Retirement
On June 2, 2008, Hays retired from the coaching after 38 years, 22 of which were spent at Texas Tech.[6][7] His final record stands at 1,509 wins and 860 losses, fourth all-time in NCAA history. He will remain on the Tech staff in a developmental role.[1] Hays's No. 27 jersey was retired on March 23, 2009. Ceremonies were held at Dan Law Field prior to the Texas Tech Red Raiders game against the Lubbock Christian Chaparrals.[8] Texas Tech won the game 4–3.[9]
[edit] Comeback
On July 9, 2009, Hays took over the women's softball reins back at Lubbock Christian University.[10] The LCU softball job opened up when Hays's son, Shanon Hays, moved over to Texas Tech to coach softball.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Winfield, Mickey (July 2008). "Tech's Hays retiring". Clovis New Journal: pp. 12.
- ^ Larry Hays earns 800th win at Tech 7-5 over Texas
- ^ Texas Tech's Hays becomes fourth coach to 1,500 wins
- ^ Hays Earns His 1,500th Career Win As Tech Tops TAMU-CC
- ^ Hays earns 1,500th win with sweep of A&M-CC
- ^ Larry Hays Retires From Coaching
- ^ Texas Tech baseball coach steps down after 38 years
- ^ "Texas Tech To Retire Larry Hays' Jersey Against LCU". Texas Tech Athletics. 2009-02-28. http://texastech.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/022809aaa.html. Retrieved 2009-03-06.
- ^ "Red Raiders Top LCU 4-3". Texas Tech Official Athletic Site. 2009-03-24. http://texastech.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/recaps/032409aaa.html. Retrieved 2009-03-24.
- ^ "Larry Hays Named New Softball Head Coach". Lubbock Christian University Official Athletic Site. 2009-07-09. http://www.lcuchaps.com/no_cache/softball/stories/story/hash/c0d9b88029b4a0285454031722fd1e3d/article/larry-hays-named-new-softball-head-coach.html. Retrieved 2010-03-27.
[edit] External links
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- Living people
- College athletic directors in the United States
- College men's basketball coaches in the United States
- College softball coaches in the United States
- Eastern New Mexico University alumni
- Junior college baseball players in the United States
- Junior college men's basketball players in the United States
- Lubbock Christian Chaparrals baseball coaches
- Lubbock Christian Chaparrals baseball players
- Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball coaches
- Texas Tech University alumni
- People from New Mexico
