Auburn Finds Next Head Coach for Women’s Basketball
Auburn has officially found its next women’s basketball coach after the program announced it had hired Larry Vickers to the position Sunday.
Vickers will step up in the place of Johnnie Harris, who the Tigers parted ways with one day after Auburn fell 60-50 to the Florida Gators in the first round of the Southeastern Conference tournament.
He comes to Auburn from Norfolk State, where he spent a decade as the program’s head coach. Vickers far exceed expectations in his time there, over the past three seasons leading them to three consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships in addition to NCAA Tournament appearances.
Vickers was at the helm of the most successful Norfolk State Division I team in history, posting a 177-99 record. The team had finished with a winning record only three times before Vickers was in the fold.
Auburn women’s basketball coach Johnnie Harris
© Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
It’s easy to see why he caught the attention of Auburn Athletics Director John Cohen in the coaching search.
“Throughout the search process, one name continually rose to the top – Larry Vickers,” Cohen said in a statement. “Coach Vickers has an incredible technical understanding of women’s basketball. He demands excellence from his student-athletes, while fostering an environment for young women to succeed. His understanding of the new landscape of college athletics is impressive. No one has worked harder for an opportunity like this than Coach Vickers.”
It will be interesting to see what is next for Auburn on the hardwood, but there’s no questioning that the Tigers appear to be in good hands moving forward.
