L-words make William Jewell men’s basketball coach Larry Holley a little uncomfortable these days. With his long list of successes during his 26-year tenure on the Hill, the word “legacy” springs to mind. But that word implies his work is over, and he’s got more work to do. Mention the word “legend” and he downright laughs. However, the recent naming of the Mabee Center’s new hardwood floor as the “Larry Holley Court” firmly cements Larry’s rightful legacy in William Jewell lore.

A sheepish grin crosses his face when he talks about the new floor. “Sure, I’m honored and humbled, but I’m still kicking, so it seemed a little odd to promote myself in such a way when I’m still coaching on that floor,” he says. He likes to tell the story of his parents, both deceased, who he believes would have had disparate views on the court-naming. Larry thinks that his father, not one to seek attention, would be horrified that his offspring would allow such a blatant display; his mother, on the other hand, is likely leading heaven’s parade in honor of her accomplished son. Ironically, a delay in laying the new floor pushed its unveiling to a January 3 home game against Baker, when students were home for Christmas break. “We played to virtually an empty house, and the women’s team played first, so I wasn’t even the first one to coach on the floor named after me. I blame my father for that,” he chuckles. But at an official dedication ceremony after the start of the semester later that month, Cardinal fans and longtime supporters turned out in force to recognize the Jewell alum and veteran basketball coach.

Life lessons learned

The first group of men to grace the wood court formed a special bond based as much on adversity as wins. “They have faced the realities of life at a young age,” Larry says. Senior guard Clint Underwood’s father battles ALS. Longtime assistant coach Lee Kariker was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor during Christmas break. “This team pulled together to support each other and played tough during emotional turmoil,” he adds. Kariker says that this year’s team truly respected and cared about one another. “We always stress being inside the circle, but this year’s group took it upon themselves to make sure everyone was tuned in to what we were trying to accomplish,” he says.

The personal issues didn’t seem to faze the men on the court, as they stormed their way to a 31-6 record—the third most wins in school history. They beat the University of Missouri- Kansas City at the beginning of the season, a victory that represented Jewell’s first win over a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I school in recent memory. They also set a school record with a #1 ranking for three weeks, and captured the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship for the 14th time. Larry believes this team could have won it all, and if he had the power, he’d call a doover for the team’s second-round loss to Cedarville, Ohio, in the national tournament, played at College of the Ozarks.

“We were in the top five in field goal percentage all year, but in that game we shot 38% from the field and 17% from threepoint range,” he recalls. “We just picked a bad time to shoot poorly. They had to pry us out of that locker room.” Larry credits Cedarville with playing a phenomenal game, pointing out that they were ranked #1 during the year as well.

This year’s team enjoyed several high points during the season, one of which came during practice before the national tournament. The team arranged to practice at Logan- Rogersville High School in Rogersville, Mo., where Clint Underwood graduated, so that his family could watch the team up close. “I enjoyed all the guys getting to see where I grew up,” Underwood says. “It meant a lot more knowing that my dad could be there watching. He used to come to a lot of my high school practices and this was kind of like a flashback for me.”

Marking a career milestone

Another memorable moment happened this season: Larry’s 600th career win at William Jewell came with a victory over conference rival MidAmerica Nazarene University in the HAAC championship game. And for the first time in five years, William Jewell had a top-30 player, as junior Drew Mathews of Olathe, Kan., was named a third team All-American. Senior Clint Underwood was an Honorable Mention selection.

As Larry reflects on his career at Jewell, he feels fortunate to coach at his beloved alma mater. “I’ve spent half of my life here on this hill,” he muses. “It was the perfect place for me as a student athlete, and it’s the perfect place for me now as a coach.” He treasures the fact that he coached his first year at Jewell in the old Brown Gymnasium, where he played as a student. He also speaks with pride of his wife, Ann, and their three daughters, who he says have been “very instrumental in whatever success I’ve had at William Jewell.” (Lindsay ’98 and Lauren ’02 are part of the extended Jewell family; Lacey graduated from Drake University in 2003.)

Larry also knows how to surround himself with quality coaches who enhance his coaching style. Kariker, who has been Larry’s assistant coach for 18 years, says, “Our coaching styles mesh together well. It’s not a good cop, bad cop thing, because sometimes those roles are reversed. Our ability to communicate with each other, the rest of the staff and the players enables us to establish a high level of trust and loyalty. Once a player is involved with the program, he’s family.”

During the summer, Larry plans to finish his long-awaited book From the Opening Tip: A History of William Jewell College Men’s Basketball. “I’ve taken so long I’ve had to add an ‘overtime’ chapter,” he says with a laugh. And he’s set an interesting goal for his program: He wants William Jewell to be the first four-year college to have played a team from all 50 states. “We’re already within 10,” he reports. This year, the team played a tournament in Maine and faced a school from Vermont. “I had hoped to be paired with Fisher College from Massachusetts in the National Tournament so I could cross off that state, but the pairings didn’t fall that way,” he adds. Nevada and Wyoming are proving to be challenges because they have few four-year colleges; Wyoming has only one, and Nevada has only two. With the help of friends, he’s hoping to secure a game against the University of Nevada- Las Vegas in 2006.

One of the college’s most enthusiastic cheerleaders, Larry often tells parents of prospective students that if their child’s experience is half as good as his was, then their son or daughter will have an awesome four years on the Hill. Even though the college doesn’t offer full scholarships, he finds Jewell an easy sell to student athletes who want the best in academics and in athletics.

Larry says he’s not going anywhere, and that it is an honor and a blessing to coach such talented young men. “William Jewell is a special place, and what makes it special are the phenomenal young men and women who attend here.”