Legendary LA Basketball Coach Larry Looper Laid To Rest

Legendary Overton County Basketball Coach Larry Looper will be laid to rest Saturday.

Looper passed away at the age of 80 this week. Livingston Academy Principal Richard Melton said Looper’s life showed a life long dedication to the school System.

“We had a lot of good teams before that, but it was like when he got here Livingston girl’s just kind of became a trend setter in basketball for many years state wide. He was our coach for the first two girl state championships in basketball. I mean what can you say about that.”

Looper won 699 games in his career and claimed two state championships at Livingston Academy in 1990 and 1994. Looper was an active member of the board of education at the time of his passing.

“When something like that happens it is always sad,” Melton said. “It is just like a solemn feeling throughout the school system. We have a lot of new teachers that maybe he didn’t work with or go to school here whenever he was teaching and coaching, but a lot of us did. So, it is just one of those moments where we realize that what we do as educators means something. What he did meant something.”