Hispanopedia WikiLarry Porter (born April 28, 1972) is an American college football coach. He currently serves as the running backs coach at Auburn University. Porter is a former head coach of the Memphis Tigers football team. He was named to the position on November 29, 2009, replacing Tommy West.[1][2][3] A former running back for the school when it was known as Memphis State University, Porter was formerly an assistant head coach, chief recruiter, and running backs coach at Louisiana State University under Les Miles. On November 27, 2011, Porter was fired after completing a 2–10 season with only having won three games during his two-year tenure.[4] On January 21, 2021, UNC hired Porter as the running backs coach and special teams coordinator. On March 6, 2025, Rich Rodriguez hired Porter as the running backs coach at WVU.
Playing career
Porter had 2,194 yards with the University of Memphis during the 1990s.[5]
Coaching career
Porter was a multi-sport coach during the late 1990s for Wooddale High School. Leading up to 2001, he worked for the University of Tennessee at Martin and Arkansas State University as a running backs coach. In 2002, Porter was hired by Oklahoma State coach Les Miles as Running Backs coach. In 2005, Porter joined coach Miles at LSU.[5]
In 2008, LSU again had one of the top running games in the SEC as the Tigers rushed for 166.8 yards per game with Scott getting the bulk of the carries (1,174 yards on 217 attempts). Scott, who earned first-team All-SEC in 2008, and Keiland Williams (417 yards, 2 touchdowns on 83 attempts) gave the Tigers one of the top 1–2 rushing punches in the league last year.
Porter and the Tigers had a running back-by-committee approach during the national championship season in 2007 with Hester leading all rushers with a career-best 1,103 yards and 11 touchdowns. Hester, who was a second-team All-SEC selection, had four 100-yard rushing games, including a 120-yard effort against Tennessee in the SEC Championship Game. Williams was second on the squad with 478 yards and six scores, while Trindon Holliday was third with 364 yards and two touchdowns.
En conjunto, LSU logró un promedio de 214.1 yardas por tierra y 35 touchdowns por partido. Tanto el promedio de 214.1 yardas por partido como los 35 touchdowns por tierra los ubicaron en el segundo lugar de la SEC. Otro logro impresionante para los corredores de los Tigers fue que, en 2007, acumularon 432 acarreos con tan solo un balón suelto perdido, que ocurrió contra Tennessee en el partido por el título de la SEC.
Tras la temporada 2007, Hester fue seleccionado en la tercera ronda del draft de la NFL de 2008 por los San Diego Chargers . Hester se convirtió en el cuarto corredor entrenado por Porter en ser seleccionado entre las tres primeras rondas del draft de la NFL desde 2004.
En 2006, Porter alternó a los corredores, ya que los Tigers alinearon a cuatro jugadores, incluyendo dos novatos, en esa posición. En 13 partidos, cinco corredores lideraron al equipo en yardas por tierra. Hester fue el corredor más destacado con 440 yardas y seis anotaciones. Además, Hester sumó 269 yardas y tres touchdowns en 35 recepciones, la tercera mejor marca para un corredor en la historia de la universidad.
Dos novatos, Scott y Williams, también irrumpieron en la escena durante la temporada 2006, ofreciendo a los Tigers un atisbo del futuro al combinar 713 yardas y 10 touchdowns. Williams coronó su primera temporada con los Tigers a lo grande, corriendo para 107 yardas y anotando dos touchdowns en la victoria de LSU por 41-14 sobre Notre Dame en el Sugar Bowl .
En conjunto, los Tigers ocuparon el segundo lugar en la SEC en yardas por tierra en 2006, con un promedio de 165.8 yardas por partido. Además, lograron 25 touchdowns por tierra, cifra que los ubicó en el segundo lugar de la liga.
En su primer año con el equipo en 2005, Porter tuvo un impacto inmediato en el juego terrestre de LSU, ya que los Tigers, a pesar de perder a Alley Broussard, quizás el mejor corredor de la SEC , por una lesión de rodilla a mediados de agosto, lograron acumular 1951 yardas por tierra y 21 touchdowns. La ofensiva terrestre de LSU ocupó el cuarto lugar en la SEC, mientras que los 21 touchdowns por tierra fueron el segundo total más alto de la liga.
Addai tuvo su mejor año con el uniforme de los Tigers, corriendo para 911 yardas y nueve touchdowns; mientras que Justin Vincent agregó 488 yardas y cinco anotaciones. Addai tuvo cinco juegos de 100 yardas por tierra, coronado por una actuación de 130 yardas y un touchdown en la victoria de LSU 40-3 sobre Miami en el Peach Bowl . Luego se convirtió en una selección de primera ronda del draft de la NFL de 2006 por los Indianapolis Colts , convirtiéndose en el primer corredor de LSU elegido en la primera ronda del draft de la NFL desde que Harvey Williams fue la selección general número 21 por los Chiefs en 1991. Addai fue finalista para Novato del Año de la NFL en 2006 y jugó un papel clave en la victoria de los Colts en el Super Bowl sobre los Chicago Bears .
Porter took over the head coaching position at his alma mater, the University of Memphis, for the 2010 season. He was fired after the 2011 season after winning only three games over two seasons.
On February 10, it was announced that Porter would take the position of running backs coach at Arizona State University. The move comes after former coach Chris Thomsen left to coach the offensive line at Texas Tech University.
On January 1, 2013, Porter accepted the running backs coaching position at the University of Texas at Austin. On February 11, 2014, Porter was announced as the running backs coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. On February 11, 2017, Porter was announced as tight ends and H-back coach and recruiting coordinator at Auburn University.
On January 29, 2021, Porter was announced as running backs coach at the University of North Carolina, returning for a second stint in Chapel Hill and reuniting with head coach Mack Brown, whom he had worked for at Texas for the 2013 season. Porter replaced Robert Gillespie, who left for Alabama. He was also given the title of assistant special teams coordinator, working with coordinator Jovan Dewitt. Following Dewitt's departure after the conclusion of the 2021 season, Porter was named the Tar Heels' special teams coordinator in addition to his responsibilities as running backs coach.
Head coaching record
References
- ↑"Former Tiger Running Back Larry Porter Named Memphis Football Coach". Archived from the original on July 11, 2011.
- ↑"Porter takes over struggling Memphis program".
- ↑"Memphis hires LSU's Porter to rebuild program". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 29, 2009. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017.
- ↑"Memphis fires coach Larry Porter". ESPN.com. ESPN.com news services. November 27, 2011. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
- 12"Former Tiger Running Back Larry Porter Named Memphis Football Coach". Memphis Tigers. University of Memphis. November 29, 2009. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
External links
- North Carolina profile
- 1972 births
- Living people
- American football running backs
- Arizona State Sun Devils football coaches
- Arkansas State Red Wolves football coaches
- LSU Tigers football coaches
- Memphis Tigers football coaches
- Memphis Tigers football players
- North Carolina Tar Heels football coaches
- Oklahoma State Cowboys football coaches
- UT Martin Skyhawks football coaches
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- Coaches of American football from Mississippi
- Players of American football from Jackson, Mississippi
- African-American coaches of American football
- 20th-century African-American sportsmen
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