Larry D. Striplin, Jr. (November 11, 1929 – January 23, 2012) was an American college basketball and baseball coach. He was also an influential figure in the state of Alabama's sports, having served on numerous boards for halls of fame. Born in

Selma, Alabama Selma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, in the Black Belt region of south central Alabama and extending to the west. Located on the banks of the Alabama River, the city has a population of 17,971 as of the 2020 census. About ...

, Striplin attended Albert G. Parish High School before enrolling at

Spring Hill College Spring Hill College is a private, Jesuit college in Mobile, Alabama. It was founded in 1830 by Michael Portier, Bishop of Mobile. Along with being the oldest college or university in the state of Alabama, it was the first Catholic college in the ...

. After two years, Striplin transferred to

Birmingham–Southern College Birmingham–Southern College (BSC) is a private college in Birmingham, Alabama. Founded in 1856, the college is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). More than 1 ...

where he excelled on the school's swimming, basketball, and baseball teams. He graduated in 1951, then pursued his Master's in Education at

Peabody College Vanderbilt Peabody College of Education and Human Development (also known as Vanderbilt Peabody College, Peabody College, or simply Peabody) is the education school of Vanderbilt University, a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. ...

(part of

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...

) in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

. Upon graduation, Striplin established the men's basketball program at Belmont State College (now

Belmont University Belmont University is a private Christian university in Nashville, Tennessee. Descended from Belmont Women's College, founded in 1890 by schoolteachers Ida Hood and Susan Heron, the institution was incorporated in 1951 as Belmont College. It be ...

) and served as their first head coach. At the same time, he assumed the role of Belmont's

athletic director An athletic director (commonly "athletics director" or "AD") is an administrator at many American clubs or institutions, such as colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and ...

, the first in their history, and Striplin started the baseball program. Like basketball, he served as the first head coach, covering for the 1954 and 1955 seasons. His influence on the athletics program was great, and has been referred to as the "patriarch" of the whole program. Striplin left Belmont, and education altogether, in 1956 to pursue business in

Jackson, Tennessee Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Tennessee, United States. Located east of Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis, it is a regional center of trade for West Tennessee. Its total population was 68,205 as of the 2020 United States ...

. Eventually, Striplin owned his own glass company and did well for himself. In 1975, Striplin joined the

Alabama Sports Hall of Fame The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (ASHOF) is a state museum located in Birmingham, Alabama, dedicated to communicating the state’s athletic history. The museum displays over 5,000 objects related to athletes who were born in Alabama or earned fame ...

and spent 23 years on the board, 13 of them as chairman. He continued to push for sports history and preservation in Alabama throughout his life. He has been inducted into the State of Alabama Academy of Honor in 1997, was the 1998 Alabama Sports Hall of Fame's Distinguished Sportsman of the Year, and was later inducted himself in 2007. Belmont's Striplin Gym is named in his honor. Larry D. Striplin married His college sweetheart, Beverly Ponder Striplin. They had four children, Larry III, Janet, David, and Cynthia.

Head coaching record

Basketball

Baseball

References

He had 9 grandchildren, Beverly Ann Carter, Katie Carter, Holly Carter, Megan Weavil, Scott Fussell, Lauren Striplin, Taylor Striplin, Christy Striplin and Barrett Striplin. Four Great Grandchildren, Landon Rives, Lilly Smith, Kaitlyn Rives and Clifton Tubbs. {{DEFAULTSORT:Striplin, Larry 1929 births 2012 deaths Baseball coaches from Alabama Basketball coaches from Alabama Baseball players from Alabama Basketball players from Alabama Belmont Bruins athletic directors Belmont Bruins baseball coaches Belmont Bruins men's basketball coaches Birmingham–Southern Panthers baseball players Birmingham–Southern Panthers men's basketball players Peabody College alumni Sportspeople from Selma, Alabama Sportspeople from Birmingham, Alabama Spring Hill College alumni American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players