June 4, 2012
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Atlantic 10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade announced Mondaythat the A-10 has hired legendary women's basketball coach Wendy Larry to the position of Associate Commissioner.
Larry, who spent 24 years as the head coach at Old Dominion University, will join the senior management team in the Conference office. Her responsibilities will include administrative oversight of women's basketball, including the A-10 women's basketball Championship, officiating and two Olympic sport championships for the league. Additionally, Larry will work with the conference media partners, assist with marketing, and branding initiatives for the conference with an emphasis on women's basketball.
"Wendy brings a wealth of experience to the Atlantic 10," stated McGlade. "She is nationally recognized as one of the most successful coaches in the country and I am confident her leadership and administrative skills will have an immediate impact on the conference. "I have known and respected Wendy for a long time -- her enthusiasm, dedication and organizational abilities will help us continue to grow Atlantic 10 women's basketball nationally. I am pleased towelcome her to the A-10 family."
One of the first women student-athletes to receive a grant-in-aid, Larry spent 30 plus years associated with Old Dominion. She was a part of nearly 800 wins at ODU as a player, assistant coach and head coach. As the head coach of the Old Dominion women's basketball program for over two decades, Larry's teams reached astonishing 20 NCAA Tournaments, captured a NCAA record setting 17-straight conference titles and collected over 500 victories. She completed her career with a 559-203 mark andoverall record of 608-234.
A native of Bloomingdale, N.J., Larry received ten Coach of the Year awards from three different leagues, most recently in 2010. She also was recognized on the national level with WBCA District III, RCA, Sporting News, and United States Women's Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Coach of the Year accolades.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Commissioner McGlade and the excellent cadre of professionals in the Atlantic 10 conference," Larry said. "In taking this position I embrace the mission of the conference, the vision of its staff and look forward to the challenge of continuingto enhance and elevate the status of Atlantic 10 women's basketball nationally."
Prior to her post at Old Dominion, Larry was the head coach at nearby Virginia Wesleyan College from 1978-79 and Arizona from 1985-87. In addition, Larry spent one year as the head coach at Cape Henry Collegiate High School in Virginia Beach. Larry first returned to her alma mater under the guidance of women's basketball hall of famer Marianne Stanley for the 1979-80 season as a graduate assistant coach before being elevated to a full-time assistant. During that span, she waspart of two Old Dominion national championships - 1980 (AIAW) and 1985 (NCAA).
Larry served a two-year term as President of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and is a member of the USA Basketball Collegiate Committee. She has also been 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.
Larry is also committed to many civic organizations through the Hampton Roads area. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Hampton Roads Habitat for Humanity and created the "Wendy Walk" to help raise money for Habitat's cause. Wendy and her team are also supporters of "The Buddy Walk of Hampton Roads," an effort to raise money and awareness of Down's Syndrome. She has also been involved with Coaches Care in an effort to help raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Larry also served as the honorary chair of the 2003 Race for the Cure in Hampton Roads. Her and her teams over the past years have been active with the annual race,as well as the annual "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.