Coaches

Larry Hawkins

Year Inducted: 1981

Category: Coaches

Schools / Organizations: (Chicago) Carver High School
The University of Chicago

Biography: A standout basketball player at Phillips High School on the South Side and George Williams College, where he played center, Larry Hawkins took over as coach of (Chicago) Carver’s basketball program in the late 1950s after serving in the US Army from 1953-55. Few coaches have had a better state tournament coaching record than Larry Hawkins had when he directed (Chicago) Carver High School. Hawkins took the Crusaders to a second-place finish in 1962 when his club lost to Stephen Decatur 49-48 in the state title game played in Champaign’s Huff Gymnasium. The following year, Hawkins coached the first team to win the state crown in the Assembly Hall when Carver defeated Centralia 53-52. That gives Hawkins a 7-1 coaching record in the state finals. A basketball coach for 15 years, he compiled a mark of 357-93. All-Americans Cazzie Russell and Joe Allen competed for Hawkins. Larry was the Chicago Prep Coach of the Year for the 1962 and 1963 seasons. The University of Chicago recruited Hawkins to create an educational outreach program for talented minority students who come from low-income families. Along the way, Larry earned his doctorate. Hawkins helped form the Concerned Coaches Association in 1970 and the Institute for Urban Athletes in 1972. Hawkins was the recipient of a BlumKovler Teacher’s Award in 1979. In 2010, the Chicago International Charter School was named in his honor. The University of Chicago honored Hawkins with its 2009 Diversity Leadership Staff Award, as an “exemplary leader” in the University’s efforts to support diversity. Larry Hawkins passed away on January 30, 2009 at the age of 78.