Six-time Hall of Famer and Texas native Larry Tidwell has joined the ULM Women's Basketball staff, head coach Brooks Donald Williams announced Tuesday.
The coaching veteran and all-time winningest coach at Lamar and UTRGV brings a wealth of experience and success to the bayou. In his 46 years of coaching at the high school and collegiate levels, Tidwell has been inducted into six Halls of Fame, most recently the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame this past May. Tidwell has worked in the Big 12 Conference, Western Athletic Conference, Conference USA, the former Southwest Conference and the Southland Conference.
Tidwell, who will oversee international recruiting as well as cover the state of Texas, will wear many hats for the Warhawks. With his wealth of knowledge, he will be an asset in many areas but especially in junior college recruiting, scouting, special game situations, zone defense, fundraising, alumni and coaching outreach, development of young coaches and staff members, growing support in the community and implementing ideas for marketing and community service.
Tidwell has spent 46 years giving to the game. He has directed and organized over 200 basketball camps and clinics. He traveled to 40 countries across the world to promote the game of basketball through camps and clinics as well as recruiting. Tidwell volunteered for the Naismith Foundation in which he helped grow the game and fundraise for eight years. As a head coach, Tidwell has served over 20,000 documented hours of community service.
Tidwell joins an elite crowd in the women's game as one of four coaches in NCAA Division I women's basketball history to have the most wins at two schools, Lamar and UTRGV. He joins Gary Blair, Chris Gobrecht and Jane Albright with this special honor.
Tidwell comes to ULM after spending the last two seasons at Dallas Christian. Upon Tidwell's arrival, Dallas Christian had not had a winning season since 2004-05 and began the 2020-21 season with only six players. After a 1-7 start, Tidwell was able to pull in additional players, which included NCCAA Southwest All-Region Kiearra Rivers. Tidwell finished 15-10 and led DCC to their first winning season in over a decade. DCC competed in the NCCAA Southwest championship game on its home court and advanced to the NCCAA Tournament, finishing in fourth place and received votes in the NCCAA Top-10 rankings.
The Crusaders began the 2021-22 season ranked in the Top 10 and was as high as fourth in the country after winning the first six contests and nine of the first 10 for arguably the hottest start in program history. Tidwell assembled the largest roster in the history of DCC women's basketball which included a roster of 21 at one point.
In 2019-20, Tidwell was the Associate Head Coach at Kansas, helping the Jayhawks to their best mark, 15-14, in seven seasons. The winning record had Kansas on the brink of a postseason appearance for the first time since 2013 before the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancelation of all postseason basketball events.
At Texas Tech, Tidwell served as the Chief of Staff, the first coach to hold that title in women's basketball.
Prior to Texas Tech, Tidwell was the head coach at UTRGV, then known as Texas-Pan American, where he flipped yet another program. UTRGV had 30 consecutive losing seasons prior to Tidwell's arrival and were a game away from going .500 in year one. In 22 years as a head coach, Tidwell's first season at UTRGV marked his only losing season.
In his first season at UTRGV, his team tied program records for overall and conference wins in a season. Tidwell's 2014-15 team finished 19-15 overall and 9-5 in the WAC. He led the 2014-15 squad to the championship game of the WAC Tournament and received an invitation to the 2015 Women's Basketball Invitational, the first postseason invitation in the program's history. Tidwell left UTRGV as the school's winningest coach.
Tidwell spent six seasons at the helm of the Lamar women's basketball program. He left Lamar as the winningest coach in their history recording 128 victories and making three post season appearances (NCAA, WNIT and WBI). He coached the Southland Conference's 2007-08 Freshman of the Year, Tamara Albalde, who was a First-Team All-Conference selection before signing with a professional team in her native country, Spain. In addition to playing for the Spanish National Team, Albalde competed in the 2008 Olympics.
At Lamar, Tidwell's first team finished the regular season as the top team in the East Division and advanced to the championship game of the 2008 Southland Conference Tournament with upset wins over preseason favorite Stephen F. Austin and Texas A&M Corpus Christi. A year later, the Lady Cardinals defeated Stephen F. Austin in the first round of the Southland Conference Tournament before falling in the semi-finals to UT Arlington.
In 2009-10, the Lady Cardinals posted a 26-8 overall record and 13-3 mark in Southland Conference play. Lamar won the Southland Conference regular season and tournament titles which advanced the Lady Cards to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991. Tidwell's 26 wins were the second-most in school history. Tidwell was named the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Division I Women's Basketball Coach of the Year. Jenna Plumley, the Lady Cards point guard, was named Southland Conference Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. Plumley was among the national leaders in 3-pointers, assists and steals.
Tidwell's 2010-11 team finished 25-8 and 13-3 in conference and fell to rival McNeese, under the helm of current ULM head coach Brooks Donald Williams, for the regular season title. The Lady Cards competed in the WNIT and again reached the postseason in the WBI in 2013.
Tidwell spent eight seasons at TCU and was named the AFLAC National Assistant Coach of the Year for helping the Lady Frogs achieve 173 victories, seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, a Top-25 recruiting class and two classes in the Top 10. The 2001 class was ranked as high as fourth nationally, making it the most highly touted in the program's history.
His illustrious collegiate coaching career began in 1992 at Baylor where he spent six seasons. The Lady Bears had seven consecutive losing seasons and an RPI of 312 prior to Tidwell's arrival in Waco. As the first full time assistant in the history of the program, he helped guide the Lady Bears to a Women's National Invitation Tournament and by the fourth season the program cracked the Top 25 and played in the 1998 WNIT Finals. In the final two seasons with Tidwell, the Lady Bears won 35 games. Tidwell's recruiting efforts in Waco ranked two different classes in the Top 25.
Tidwell had Texas high school coaching stints at Schulenburg, Mexia, Lexington and Frisco. He earned eight district championships and nine playoff appearances. Over 13 years as a head coach, Tidwell compiled a 252-162 collegiate record and a 296-83 high school record, which brings his overall record (high school and college) to 548-245.
Tidwell was named TABC NCAA Division I Women's Coach of the Year in 2010 and again in 2015.
Tidwell is a native of Sanger, Texas, where he grew up with his wife Teresa. He is the father of three sons, Michael, Marc and Marty. Larry and Teresa Tidwell have six grandchildren: Ryan, Skylar, William, Matthew, Waylon and Axel.
Coaching Career Recap for Larry Tidwell
| Years |
School |
Title |
| 2020-22 |
Dallas Christian College |
Head Coach |
| 2019-20 |
Kansas |
Associate Head Coach |
| 2018-19 |
Texas Tech |
Chief of Staff |
| 2013-18 |
UTRGV |
Head Coach |
| 2007-13 |
Lamar |
Head Coach |
| 1999-07 |
TCU |
Associate Head Coach |
| 1998-99 |
Mexia HS |
Head Coach |
| 1992-98 |
Baylor |
Assistant Coach |
| 1984-92 |
Schulenburg HS |
Head Coach |
| 1983-84 |
Lexington HS |
Head Coach |
| 1976-83 |
Frisco HS |
Head Coach/AD |
Other Professional Career for Larry Tidwell
| Years |
Team |
Title |
| 2011 |
Bahamas National Team |
Head Coach |
| 1992 |
Southwest Conference All-Star Team |
Assistant Coach |
Career Honors for Larry Tidwell
| Year |
Organization |
Honor For… |
| 2022 |
Texas Association of Basketball Coaches
Hall of Fame |
Coaching Career |
| 2022 |
Lamar University Hall of Fame |
Coaching Career |
| 2015 |
TABC NCAA Division I
Women's Coach of the Year |
Coaching Career |
| 2014 |
Austin College Hall of Fame |
Career Achievement |
| 2010 |
Austin College Hall of Fame |
Coaching Career |
| 2010 |
TABC NCAA Division I
Women's Coach of the Year |
Coaching Career |
| 2008 |
TGCA Margaret McKown
Distinguished Service Award |
Coaching Career |
| 2004 |
Austin College Hall of Fame |
Playing Career |
| 2003 |
Sanger High School Hall of Fame |
Playing Career |
| 2002 |
AFLAC National Assistant Coach
of the Year |
Coaching Career |
| 1991 |
Schulenburg Citizen of the Year |
Coaching Career |
