Harry Eugene Larche (July 12, 1923 – May 31, 2005) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Toledo from 1957 to 1959 and at Graceland University in three separate stints spanning 1960 to 1973.
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 12, 1923 Eros, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | May 31, 2005 (aged 81) |
| Alma mater | Arkansas State University University of Mississippi Indiana University |
| Playing career | |
| 1946–1948 | Arkansas State |
| Position(s) | Tackle |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1951–1953 | Arkansas State (line) |
| 1954 | Toledo (line) |
| 1956 | MVCDS (OH) |
| 1957–1959 | Toledo |
| 1960–1962 | Graceland |
| 1964 | Graceland |
| 1969–1973 | Graceland |
| Wrestling | |
| 1965–1966 | Western Illinois |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 46–57–4 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| Arkansas State Ring of Honor (1998) | |
Playing career
editA star tackle at Arkansas State University, Larche was captain of the 1948 Arkansas State Indians football team and was a member of the southern team in that year's Blue–Gray Football Classic.[1][2] He was drafted by both the Baltimore Colts of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League, but chose to sign with the Colts.[1] [3][4] He was waived by the team on August 31, 1949.[5]
Larche graduated from Arkansas State with a Bachelor of Education degree and later earned a Master of Education from the University of Mississippi and a Doctor of Education from Indiana University.[6]
Coaching
editIn 1951, Larche returned to his alma mater as an assistant football coach.[7][8] In 1954, he followed head coach Forrest England to the University of Toledo.[9] He left the school after one season to enter private business. In 1956, he was the head coach of the Maumee Valley Country Day School and led the school to a 6–1 record; its best season to that point.[10]
On January 13, 1957, Toledo fired England and Jack Morton (who had served as interim football coach while England was recovering from a heart attack) and named Larche its new football coach.[11] He complied a 11–15–1 record over three seasons and resigned on December 2, 1959 after a 2–7–1 season.[12]
In 1960, Larche became the head football coach at Graceland College.[13] For the 1961 homecoming game, Larche suited up one of the school's administrative assistants, Clara Engle. With a safe lead over Tarkio College, Larche put Engle in for a single play in the fourth quarter, where she was instructed to run 15 yards down the field.[14]
He left Graceland in 1965 to become head wrestling coach and an associate professor of physical education at Western Illinois University.[15] The following year he became the head of the physical education department at Pan American College.[8] He was removed from this position by president Ralph Schilling in 1968 after Larche criticized the school's grading system.[16]
Larche returned to Graceland in 1969 and coached the football team through the 1973 season.
Later life
editFrom 1975 to 1989, Larche was a professor of physical education at Campbell University.[17] In 1998, he was inducted into the Arkansas State football Ring of Honor.[18]
Head coaching record
edit| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo Rockets (Mid American Conference) (1957–1959) | |||||||||
| 1957 | Toledo | 5–4 | 3–2 | 4th | |||||
| 1958 | Toledo | 4–5 | 1–4 | 6th | |||||
| 1959 | Toledo | 2–6–1 | 0–6 | 7th | |||||
| Toledo: | 11–15–1 | 4–12 | |||||||
| Graceland Yellowjackets (Missouri College Athletic Union) (1960–1962) | |||||||||
| 1960 | Graceland | 2–7 | 0–4 | 6th | |||||
| 1961 | Graceland | 5–2–2 | 3–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1962 | Graceland | 4–5 | 2–3 | 4th | |||||
| Graceland Yellowjackets (Missouri College Athletic Union) (1964) | |||||||||
| 1964 | Graceland | 4–4 | 3–2 | 3rd | |||||
| Graceland Yellowjackets (Missouri College Athletic Union) (1969–1970) | |||||||||
| 1969 | Graceland | 0–9 | 0–5 | 6th | |||||
| 1970 | Graceland | 1–8 | 0–5 | 6th | |||||
| Graceland Yellowjackets (Heart of America Athletic Conference) (1971–1972) | |||||||||
| 1971 | Graceland | 6–2–1 | 4–2–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1972 | Graceland | 7–2 | 5–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1973 | Graceland | 6–4 | 3–4 | 5th | |||||
| Graceland: | 35–42–3 | 20–29–1 | |||||||
| Total: | 46–57–4 | ||||||||
References
edit- ^ a b "Colts Sign Larche". Youngstown Vindicator. May 1, 1949. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Blue-Gray Rosters Are About Complete". The Lewiston Daily Sun. December 1, 1948. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "1949 AAFC Draft" (PDF). Profootballresearchers.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 17, 2013. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
- ^ "1949 Green Bay Packers Draftees". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
- ^ "Cut Three Players". Schenectady Gazette. September 1, 1949. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ Pine Burr. 1977. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Florence Lions Face Real Foe Arkansas State". Times Daily. October 9, 1951. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ a b "Eleven Added To faculty By Board Of Regents". The Pan American. September 7, 1966. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "TU Nine Seek Kentucky Trip". Toledo Blade. February 15, 1954. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "TU Athletic Changes Are Under Study". Toledo Blade. January 10, 1957. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ Rothman, Seymour (January 14, 1957). "Larche Hired As TU Grid Coach". Toledo Blade. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Another Coach Bows Out". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. December 3, 1959. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Toledo Coach Quits For Graceland College". The Portsmouth Times. February 3, 1960. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ Goehner, David. The Graceland College Book of Knowledge. p. 430. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Larche Takes Job". Toledo Blade. July 14, 1965. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Grading System Raked at College". The Victoria Advocate. February 22, 1968. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ Campbell University Bulletin Undergraduate Studies 1999-2002 (PDF). p. 277. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "ARKANSAS STATE RING OF HONOR". astateredwolves.com. Retrieved February 11, 2018.