Henry Hayden Lannigan (December 17, 1863 – December 24, 1930), known as Pop Lannigan, was a
Welshman and
immigrant to the United States who was the first head coach in
Virginia Cavaliers basketball history from 1905 to 1929 and one of the "most noted athletic trainers in the East."
['']The News Leader
''The News Leader'' is a daily newspaper owned by Gannett and serving Staunton, Virginia
Staunton ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 Uni ...
'', Henry Lannigan obituary, Staunton, Virginia
Staunton ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 25,750. In Virginia, independent cities a ...
. Published December 26, 1930. He accumulated a dominant overall record of 254–95 (.728) over twenty-four seasons as the UVA head coach. During his tenure he also made the Cavalier track program nationally known while simultaneously starting the school's
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
and college
boxing
Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
programs. He came to Virginia after serving fourteen years as the Athletics Director of
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
.
Lannigan's ability was highly renowned throughout the
eastern seaboard and
southern United States
The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
, and his services were in high demand at many leading universities of both regions.
Lannigan, however, remained loyal to the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...
until he was forced into retirement by a severe illness to which he succumbed after several months.
Coaching
Lannigan was a renowned
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
coach in the early years of the sport.
His team achieved a perfect record of 17–0 in the 1914–15 season, and posted an undefeated conference record in the old
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly ...
's inaugural year of 1921–22. In the 1924–25 season, his team nearly doubled up
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
, 29–16, after being invited to play against the Wildcats in their brand new
Alumni Gymnasium.
It was one of only 24 times the Kentucky team ever lost in that gym. Yet his Cavaliers defeated Kentucky again, 31–28, when they returned the favor to visit
Memorial Gymnasium in 1928.
Lannigan earlier coached "the Arkansas Flash,"
James Rector
John "James" Alcorn Rector (June 22, 1884 – March 10, 1949) was an American athlete. He was the first Arkansas-born athlete to compete in the Olympic Games. While competing he was a University of Virginia student and went there to train with ...
, in
track and field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
events.
While still a UVA student, Rector fell just six inches short of winning the
100 meter dash
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contest ...
of the
1908 Olympic Games
The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, United Kingdom, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were ori ...
in
London, England
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...
.
Rector was also a Virginia star on its
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
and
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
teams.
Death
Lannigan fell ill at the age of 65 and immediately retired from coaching. For many months he then underwent treatment at the
United States Naval Hospital in
Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is an independent city in southeast Virginia and across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,915. It is part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area.
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard and Naval M ...
.
For the last two months of his life he had returned to his home in
Charlottesville
Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Cha ...
and for his last week the
University of Virginia Hospital.
His funeral was held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church across the street from
The Rotunda.
Lannigan is buried in the
University of Virginia Cemetery and Columbarium.
The current venue used by the Cavalier track and field teams, Lannigan Field, is named in his honor.
Personal life
Lannigan married Ms. Helen White of
Bakersfield, Vermont
Bakersfield is a town in Franklin County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,273 at the 2020 census.
Geography
Bakersfield is located in southeastern Franklin County, bordered by Lamoille County to the southeast. Vermont Route 108 pass ...
.
He left behind two daughters, one who worked at the University of Virginia and one who lived in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. Henry was also survived by one son Raymond Angus Lannigan I from his first wife Sarah Dutton Lannigan. He was also survived by four brothers and a sister.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lannigan, Henry
Place of birth missing
1863 births
1930 deaths
American men's basketball coaches
Virginia Cavaliers baseball coaches
Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball coaches
Virginia Cavaliers track and field coaches
Welsh emigrants to the United States
Burials in Virginia
Burials at the University of Virginia Cemetery