Larry Coyer

[riflearm2]

Former Marshall defensive back Larry Coyer, who coached for decades in the NFL and college, passed away yesterday. I never worked with him or met him, but I heard good things about him as a person. He was known for always being even-keeled and having a ton of entertaining stories.

 

[1herdfifteen]

Sorry to hear that, a class act. RIP

 

[OldielovesHerd]

Former Marshall defensive back Larry Coyer, who coached for decades in the NFL and college, passed away yesterday. I never worked with him or met him, but I heard good things about him as a person. He was known for always being even-keeled and having a ton of entertaining stories.

Sorry to hear that. He was a fine player and coach at Marshall. May he rest in peace.

 

[sluggo72]

Larry use to come back to Huntington in the off season to visit his brother Corky. I told Corky I wanted to meet him and I did. I got to visit with him for about an hour. He was in Denver when they had Paul Toviessi. He was brutally honest about what Paul needed to do to get back on the field. He talked about Jon Gruden calling him, ‘hey old man you ready to come to work?’ That’s how he got to Tampa
Off the top of my head Larry held the single season int record at 9 for years. I believe Reggie Giles finally broke it.
Larry was good to talk to. His brother Corky was a retired fireman in Huntington who passed several years ago

​

 

[GreenDuke]

Larry was one tough son of a gun and played on some very good competitive teams in the early 60’s. Coyer, Howie Miller, Tom Good, Jim Cure, Mickey Jackson, Bob Pruett and others were really good players and a fun team to watch

 

[riflearm2]

And it looks like he still loved the Herd. Here he is rocking a Marshall shirt in his later years:

 

[oldeherd]

Larry was one tough son of a gun and played on some very good competitive teams in the early 60’s. Coyer, Howie Miller, Tom Good, Jim Cure, Mickey Jackson, Bob Pruett and others were really good players and a fun team to watch

Very solid HERD football team in that period. Head Coach Charlie Snyder must have had a shoestring recruiting budget in those days. Recruited central and southern WV hard, some players in the Eastern Panhandle, e.g., Mickey Jackson. Also recruited Eastern KY, and Ohio and WV along the Ohio River all the way to the top of the Northern Panhandle. George Kosanovich, a lb/db IIRC, was from Weirton. A good end, Bob Vernters, was from Pikeville, KY. Miller was from the Huntington area, Coyer from Barboursville, Cure from Gary in McDowell County, Pruett from Beckley, Big lineman from Charleston named Mike Hicks, and Good, who later played for a while with the Chargers, was from Sissionville. Another solid linebacker was Bill Winter from Nitro. One of those national preseason football magazines in reviewing MAC football for the 64 season, I believe, touted Winter and Good as one of the best linebacker tandems in the Midwest! Another big lineman, Everett Vance came from Logan as did a high quality defensive back, Ray Henderson. Henderson's son, Alan, later played for Bobby Knight at Indiana and was on many All American teams.

All these "locals" that Coach Snyder rounded up by 1964, when Coyer, Miller, Cure, Pruett, Winter and several others were all seniors, finished second in the MAC, MU's highest finished in many years in that Conference, with a 7-3 overall record, which culminated in a 10-0 season-ending win over heated rival Ohio U. up in Athens!!

A great time to be a MU football fan and student attending games at crumbling and decrepit Fairfield Stadium!!

 

[Russ Priddy]

Very solid HERD football team in that period. Head Coach Charlie Snyder must have had a shoestring recruiting budget in those days. Recruited central and southern WV hard, some players in the Eastern Panhandle, e.g., Mickey Jackson. Also recruited Eastern KY, and Ohio and WV along the Ohio River all the way to the top of the Northern Panhandle. George Kosanovich, a lb/db IIRC, was from Weirton. A good end, Bob Vernters, was from Pikeville, KY. Miller was from the Huntington area, Coyer from Barboursville, Cure from Gary in McDowell County, Pruett from Beckley, Big lineman from Charleston named Mike Hicks, and Good, who later played for a while with the Chargers, was from Sissionville. Another solid linebacker was Bill Winter from Nitro. One of those national preseason football magazines in reviewing MAC football for the 64 season, I believe, touted Winter and Good as one of the best linebacker tandems in the Midwest! Another big lineman, Everett Vance came from Logan as did a high quality defensive back, Ray Henderson. Henderson's son, Alan, later played for Bobby Knight at Indiana and was on many All American teams.

All these "locals" that Coach Snyder rounded up by 1964, when Coyer, Miller, Cure, Pruett, Winter and several others were all seniors, finished second in the MAC, MU's highest finished in many years in that Conference, with a 7-3 overall record, which culminated in a 10-0 season-ending win over heated rival Ohio U. up in Athens!!

A great time to be a MU football fan and student attending games at crumbling and decrepit Fairfield Stadium!!

Howie Lee Miller was from PT Pleasant

 

[greengeezer]

Howie was the quarterback the year I started going to Marshall games. In fall of 1965, the team won the first four then he broke his arm. We went on a five game losing streak after that.

 

[Russ Priddy]

Howie was the quarterback the year I started going to Marshall games. In fall of 1965, the team won the first four then he broke his arm. We went on a five game losing streak after that.

I think he broke his leg against the Quantico Marines....he stepped in a hole in the Fairfield turf...

 

[greengeezer]

I think he broke his leg against the Quantico Marines....he stepped in a hole in the Fairfield turf...

You may be correct. After 58 years, I’m lucky if I can tell an arm from a leg. 😁

 

[Russ Priddy]

You may be correct. After 58 years, I’m lucky if I can tell an arm from a leg. 😁

Same here but Im from PT Pleasant and knew Howie...it was going to be a great year

 

[luckytoes99]

Same here but Im from PT Pleasant and knew Howie...it was going to be a great year

Quantico had many former big college players that were tough as nails according to a player on 65 team. They were not your typical 18-22 year olds. Hard to say how well 65 team would have done had Miller not been hurt.

 

[muthed]

Howie was the quarterback the year I started going to Marshall games. In fall of 1965, the team won the first four then he broke his arm. We went on a five game losing streak after that.

I was there. Broke it against Quantico, iirc.

 

[oldeherd]

I was there. Broke it against Quantico, iirc.

Was at the same game. Afterwards, the pathetic condition of "Ye Olde Fairfield" came under media and other scrutiny. Turns out the grass field was laid down over the old City garbage dump. Surface apparently settle, developed weak spots, holes, etc., over the years. Led to a study/plan, of course at a slow snail's pace, for overall improvements, upgrades, of the Stadium. By the time the late 60s, 1970 or so rolled around, they had excavated the original field and lowered it quite a bit. Added additional stands along both sides of the field, which boosted the Stadium's original capacity of 10,000 to upwards of 15,000 or more. And, of course, that new innovation, "Astroturf", was added. Believe too that new locker rooms, etc., were added above/behind the North End Zone.

 

[greengeezer]

And, of course, that new innovation, "Astroturf", was added.

It wasn’t too long after that turf was added that a Marshall service group called the Robe brought a real bison calf on to the field for pregame activities. Even as a calf, the baby bison had no problem shaking off its handlers and proceeded to roam around the stadium. It stopped a few times to try and feed on the artificial surface.

 

[greengeezer]