Larry Snyder was the long-time track & field coach at Ohio State University. Snyder coached some of the greatest athletes in track & field history during his tenure at Ohio State, including Jesse Owens, Dave Albritton, Glenn Davis, and “Marvelous Mal” Whitfield.
A graduate of Canton High School (OH), Snyder served a pilot instructor during World War I, later doing some stunt flying in the early 1920s. He enrolled at Ohio State University shortly thereafter and earned three letters as a high hurdler from 1922-24.
Several years after his graduation, Snyder returned to Ohio State to take over the track & field program, a position he held from 1932-42 and 1946-65. Snyder’s Buckeyes won eight Olympic Gold Medals, set 14 world records, and won over 50 All American honors. His teams also won two Big Ten outdoor meets and three Big Ten indoor meets (and tied for a fourth), and compiled four runner-up finishes at the NCAA outdoor meet.
Snyder’s individual athletes were even more successful. Owens won four Gold Medals in the 1936 Olympic Games, in the 100m, 200m, long jump, and 4x100m relay. Albritton was a world record holder and 1936 Olympic Silver Medalist in the high jump. Davis won two Olympic Gold Medals in 1956 and 1960. Whitfield won three Olympic Gold Medals (1948: 800m, 4x400m relay; 1952: 800m), one Silver Medal (1952: 4x400m relay), and one Bronze Medal (1948: 400m) in two Olympiads.
An assistant Olympic coach in 1952, Snyder was tabbed as the head Olympic coach of the 1960 team. He also served as President of the track coaches association from 1940-41, and he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Snyder is recognized for his achievements in the Ohio State Varsity “O” Hall of Fame, the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame, the Drake Relays Hall of Fame, and the USATF Hall of Fame.