SACRAMENTO, Calif. — 1985 BYU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Larry Hall was enshrined into the newly established American River College (ARC) Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday evening. Hall served as BYU men’s tennis head coach from 1979-1988 and competed as a student athlete from 1967-1970.
With the honor, Hall’s name is now cemented in four Hall of Fame ranks: ARC (2023), Utah Tennis (2014), BYU Athletics (coach and player, 1985) and Sacramento County (1968).
Prior to joining the Cougars, he played his freshman year for ARC. During his lone season there in 1966, he was the California State Junior College singles and doubles champion, leading the Beavers to their first-ever California state title and racking up ARC Athlete of the Year honors. He entered the college ranks at No. 15 nationally in the junior tennis division.
As a BYU student-athlete, Hall capped his collegiate career with NCAA All-American honors in 1970. He also earned All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) honors in all three years at BYU while helping lead the team to a 1969 WAC team championship. Competing under the late legendary head coach Wayne Pearce (1936-2020), Hall helped the team to seventh, eighth and ninth overall finishes in the country.
After graduating from BYU, Hall went on to win the Utah State Open Singles title in 1977 and 1980, ascending to a No. 1 ranking in Utah and the five state intermountain region.
As head coach of the Cougars, Hall amassed 135 wins with a 0.584 winning percentage throughout his nine-year tenure. He orchestrated a No. 25 ITA team finish in 1988 after a 26-6 season while also overseeing two WAC titles (1985, 1988).
He has held several positions in the Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Association, the Utah Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness, the U.S. Tennis Association, and many other organizations.
Hall’s decorated history includes academics at BYU. He retired in 2017 after 39 years as a professor in the Department of Exercise Sciences, including a role as department chair. He is the creator of Student Wellness, a campus organization whose vision is to have every student live a healthy and active lifestyle. In 1998, he also became one of three founders of Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. The university is located in Provo, Utah and just celebrated its 25th year.
Hall and his wife Linda have six grown children and 21 grandchildren. They are currently in their fourth year as service missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with BYU Pathway, serving virtually as assistant area coordinators over Nigeria.