Flake Laird

Flake Laird

Laird pictured as a senior in Quips and Cranks 1926, Davidson yearbook
Sport(s) Basketball, baseball
Biographical details
Born (1902-12-16)December 16, 1902
Decatur, Georgia
Died April 10, 1992(1992-04-10) (aged 89)
Blacksburg, Virginia
Playing career
Football
1922–1925 Davidson
Basketball
1922–1926 Davidson
Baseball
1923–1926 Davidson
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Basketball
1926–1928 Catawba
1931–1937 Davidson
1947–1955 Virginia Tech
Baseball
1927–1928 Catawba
1932–1939 Davidson
1940–1944 Virginia Tech
1948–1973 Virginia Tech
Head coaching record
Overall 134–221 (basketball)
409–392–5 (baseball)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
ABCA Hall of Fame (1971)

Green Flake "Red" Laird[1] (December 16, 1902 – April 10, 1992) was an American college basketball and baseball coach.[2][3] He is best known for being Virginia Tech's head baseball coach for 30 seasons and compiling the second most wins in program history through the 2013 season (343).[4] He was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1971.[5][6] Virginia Tech's home baseball venue, English Field, has its home team's dugout after him.[7] Laird also coached the men's basketball and baseball teams at Virginia Tech, Catawba College, and Davidson College as well as the freshman football team at Davidson.[8][9][10] Laird attended Davidson between 1922–23 and 1925–26. While there he earned 12 varsity letters – four each in football, basketball and baseball.

Head coaching record

Basketball

Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Catawba Indians (Little Six Conference) (1926–1928)
1926–27 Catawba 6–15 1–9
1927–28 Catawba 8–12 4–8
Catawba: 14–27 5–17
Davidson Wildcats (Independent) (1931–1936)
1931–32 Davidson 3–12
1932–33 Davidson 4–14
1933–34 Davidson 6–13
1934–35 Davidson 13–10
1935–36 Davidson 4–15
Davidson Wildcats (Southern Conference) (1936–1937)
1936–37 Davidson 13–10 5–8
Davidson: 43–74 5–8
Virginia Tech Hokies (Independent) (1947–1955)
1947–48 Virginia Tech 14–9
1948–49 Virginia Tech 10–13
1949–50 Virginia Tech 16–9
1950–51 Virginia Tech 19–10
1951–52 Virginia Tech 4–16
1952–53 Virginia Tech 4–19
1953–54 Virginia Tech 3–24
1954–55 Virginia Tech 7–20
Virginia Tech: 77–120
Total: 134–221

Baseball

Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Catawba Indians (Independent) (1927–1928)
1927 Catawba 10–13–1
1928 Catawba 5–9
Catawba: 15–22–1
Davidson Wildcats (Independent) (1932–1939)
1932 Davidson 6–11
1933 Davidson 15–6
1934 Davidson 3–13
1935 Davidson 5–11
1936 Davidson 2–18
1937 Davidson 6–17
1938 Davidson 8–8
1939 Davidson 6–11
Davidson: 51–95
Virginia Tech Hokies (Independent) (1940–1943)
1940 Virginia Tech 7–5
1941 Virginia Tech 6–10
1942 Virginia Tech 10–5–1
1943 Virginia Tech 4–8
Virginia Tech Hokies (Southern Conference) (1948–1965)
1948 Virginia Tech 14–8–1 6–4 5th
1949 Virginia Tech 10–11 5–7 10th
1950 Virginia Tech 13–9 8–2 1st (North) SoCon Tournament[lower-alpha 1]
1951 Virginia Tech 8–11
1952 Virginia Tech 4–9 3–6 7th
1953 Virginia Tech 6–7 4–5 4th
1954 Virginia Tech 14–8 10–4 1st NCAA District III Playoffs
1955 Virginia Tech 13–8 8–4 3rd
1956 Virginia Tech 9–12 7–7 6th
1957 Virginia Tech 9–12 8–7 4th
1958 Virginia Tech 9–11–1 6–7 6th
1959 Virginia Tech 12–7 9–5 4th
1960 Virginia Tech 10–9 7–6 5th
1961 Virginia Tech 9–15 7–6 4th
1962 Virginia Tech 11–6 7–5 4th
1963 Virginia Tech 14–7 10–1 2nd
1964 Virginia Tech 12–10 9–6 4th
1965 Virginia Tech 10–13 5–11 7th
Virginia Tech Hokies (Independent) (1966–1973)
1966 Virginia Tech 10–6
1967 Virginia Tech 14–10
1968 Virginia Tech 17–9–1
1969 Virginia Tech 27–7 NCAA District III Playoffs
1970 Virginia Tech 15–11
1971 Virginia Tech 16–10
1972 Virginia Tech 15–11
1973 Virginia Tech 15–10
Virginia Tech: 343–275–4
Total: 409–392–5

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

  1. ↑ The top two teams in each division were invited to the SoCon Tournament. The North Division was composed of 7 teams, while the South had 9.

References

  1. ↑ http://archive.org/stream/quipscranks1926davi#page/n5/mode/2up
  2. ↑ https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VSP5-M2Z
  3. ↑ http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=73658715
  4. ↑ "Coaching Records" (PDF). 2011 Baseball Media Guide. Virginia Tech. 2011. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  5. ↑ "ABCA Hall of Fame" (PDF). American Baseball Coaches Association. 2010. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  6. ↑ Smith, Dave. "A Field of Dreams Come True". VT Magazine. Virginia Tech. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  7. ↑ "English Field". HokieSports.com. Virginia Tech. 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Flake "Red" Laird, Davidson Coach for Ten Years, Leaves for Position with V.P.I." (PDF). The Davidsonian (Davidson, North Carolina: Davidson College). April 12, 1939. p. 1. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Coaches". Quips and Cranks. Davidson College. 1933. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Wildkittens to Meet Pups on Snyder Field" (PDF). The Spartanburg Herald (Spartanburg, South Carolina). October 14, 1932. p. 12. Retrieved July 19, 2013.

External links

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