After building a championship-caliber program at Norfolk State, a Virginia HBCU, Larry Vickers is embracing a new challenge as the head coach of Auburn’s women’s basketball team.
Vickers, who spent 23 years at Norfolk State as a student-athlete, assistant coach and head coach, led the Spartans to three consecutive conference championships, NCAA Tournament appearances and a 30-win season this year. Now, he’s taking his defensive-minded approach to the Southeastern Conference, eager to make his mark at a Power Four program.
“Auburn was a no-brainer because of the people, because of the staff,” Vickers said during his formal introduction Monday at the Woltosz Center. “We want to have quality people on our staff, and we’ll have quality people on our team.”
Vickers guided Norfolk State to a 63-57 victory over Auburn on Dec. 29, 2024, with his team outrebounding the Tigers by nine and grabbing 21 offensive rebounds. The Spartans’ trapping defense, a staple of Vickers’ system, forced 16 turnovers and held Auburn to 36.7-percent shooting.
Rebounding Formula
“We have a formula that works for us,” Vickers said. “We have a formula to rebound so we can take advantage of multiple mismatches.”
That defensive mindset, which propelled Norfolk State to the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense in 2022-23, and the top HBCU program this season, will be central to his approach at Auburn.
“I’m only sitting here because we hang our hat on defense,” Vickers said. “Our defenses have generally been nationally ranked. It’s a different level of guard across the board every night in the SEC, but we’ll have a different level of player too, executing that same vision and plan.”
Vickers’ connection to Auburn began when he stumbled across the Auburn Creed on YouTube.
“I believe in work, and hard work,” he said, quoting the Creed. “As y’all get to know my story, you’ll know I’m only here because of hard work. Hopefully, our hard work can lead to championships. Hopefully, our hard work can lead to that celebration of rolling Toomer’s Corner, and our hard work can lead to a 100-percent graduation rate.”
Recruiting will be key
Larry Vickers knows success at Auburn will require high-level recruiting and player development to compete in one of the nation’s most unforgiving conferences.
“What will my ideal Tiger look like? One, she’s going to have a lot of pride in the orange and blue from day one,” Vickers said. “She wants to have a sense of excellence. We know it’s going to be super tough, but we want to go into every year looking to go 31-0.”
Leaving Norfolk State wasn’t easy for Vickers, who transformed the Spartans’ program with a mix of discipline, passion and innovation. But the opportunity to lead Auburn was too good to pass up.
“That’s one thing I can promise,” Vickers said. “We’re going to work hard in the classroom. We’re going to work hard on the floor. I’m excited to bring that same commitment to Auburn.”
Before building a successful coaching career, Larry Vickers left his mark as a player at Norfolk State. A versatile forward, Vickers played for the Spartans from 2004 to 2008, first joining the team as a walk-on on his freshman year. Known for his toughness, high basketball IQ and leadership, Vickers averaged 4.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game as a senior. Vickers established his craft at an HBCU and will now have an opportunity to showcase what black college coaches can do on a larger stage.