‘Living the Dream’ Directing the ‘Hidden Gem’ Wildcats Volleyball Programs Together

8/10/2022 5:37:00 PM

By: Chris Myers

FORT VALLEY, Ga. – The Wildcats volleyball programs laid the foundation for their teams a year ago with much higher 2022-23 expectations starting the fall practice season today. The son-father coaching duo of head coach Larry Wrather and assistant coach Ed Wrather are 'living the dream' coaching together directing the 'hidden gem' Wildcats women's and men's volleyball squads.

The son-father duo came to The Valley almost two-and-a-half years ago to take over the women's team and start the men's side of the court. Since stepping foot on campus in February of 2020, the Wrather duo had encouraging first seasons a year late due to the cancellation of the 2020 fall season and a year postponement of the men's volleyball inaugural year.

Last fall, the FVSU coaches led a Wildcats team made entirely of nine freshmen and three sophomores to wins in eight years. The 8-15 record was the most successful women's volleyball campaign since the team last won double-digits games at 10-24 in 2013.

In the inaugural men's volleyball season this spring, the Wrather led team recorded a respectable 8-15 mark. The entire first-year men played with a short roster and went 2-2 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament.

Head Coach Larry Wrather instructing Morgan Hebert last season.

Both Wildcats 2022-23 volleyball teams are primed to take big strides. Both FVSU teams return good foundations and each roster adds a large group of incoming talent – nine women and eight men – to the fold.

Let's get to know the FVSU coaching combination of Larry and Ed Wrather making the Wildcats two volleyball programs into two fast-rising teams.
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Head Coach Larry Wrather (son) responses in blue

Assistant Coach Ed Wrather (father) responses in red

First, where the FVSU coaches comes from…

* Where are you originally from?

Larry - Born in Fort Knox, Kentucky but grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago

Ed - Born and raised in Chicago

* What are you thankful for?

Larry - My Family

Ed - Family!

* What makes you smile?

Larry - My son

Ed - When things that are planed are successfully executed

* What makes a good day?

Larry - When I'm granted the ability to wake up.

Ed - When God Blesses my Family another day to enjoy each other!

* Unique fact/something interesting about you?

Larry - I am ranked 9th in career kills at Ball State as a 5-11 outside

Ed - Finished 175th out of 1000 in 701 World Darts Championships.

* What drew your interest in sports and then into coaching?

Larry - I grew up as the youngest of 4 sibling and my father was big into playing and coaching while I was growing up. So, I have always been around sports and the mentoring of young athletes.

Ed - In the inner city you had 2 choices play sports to stay out of gangs or join the gangs. Coaching became my way of giving back to kids who were growing up without mentors but need help make some tough decisions

* What things do you enjoy away from coaching?

Larry - I enjoy spending time with my family as my wife and I are new parents. Any chance I get to spend time with our 16-month-old son Phoenix I cherish.

Ed - Spending t I me with family and antique hunting.

* Where did you go to college?

Larry - Bachelors: Ball State University, Studied Sports administration minor in Marketing; Masters: University of Charleston, Strategic Leadership

Ed - Marland University Euro (while in military overseas)

General FVSU

The volleyball coaching Wrathers - Asst. Coach Ed (left) and Head Caoch Larry (right)

* How long have you been at FVSU?

Larry - This year will be my 3^rd season with the Wildcats.

Ed - Since Feb, 2020 to Present

* What brought you/interested you in this coaching opportunity at FVSU?

Larry - Having the ability to help grow the game in my community at the college level alongside my father, who coached me.

Ed – Couldn't pass up the dream of coaching with my son (full circle)

* What do you like about The Valley/what makes it unique? True family environment

Larry - That the Valley is a hidden gem, but most importantly the support within the community. We truly bleed Blue and Gold!

Ed - That each-and-every student, athlete, staff and faculty support "The Valley," we bleed Blue and Gold!

Coaching

* What is your coaching background/where have you coached?

Larry - I first began coaching while playing at Ball State with Burris High School in Muncie, Indiana where we were state champs with a 39-1 record and national runner-up. I also coached at Municana Volleyball Club where I took my 17s team to be the number 1 ranked 17s team at AAU Nationals. I coached at both institutions for 4 years. After graduating, I coached with my father at North Chicago high school for a year before transferring to Loyola Academy for three years. Over that 4-year period, I also coached club ball with Vortex Volleyball Club. I then left the High School and club volleyball scene to begin my collegiate coaching career at the University of Charleston for 2 years. Heading into my third season here now at FVSU, I will have been coaching for 12 years now.

Ed - Started the first middle school program in North Chicago community - lead them to 2 girls Championships and 1 boys Championship. Coached high school for 25 years (also started the first All African American male Volleyball team). I worked as Director of Men's Club program for 15 years (led 14s through 17s team to gold bracket National Championships). Owner/Director of Vortex Volleyball Club, which was in the top tier men's programs in the Great Lakes Region. College of Lake County Volunteer coach for a season. All coaching was done in the Midwest and Kentucky.

* What is your favorite part(s) of coaching?

Larry - Mentoring the next generation to become the people they want to be while using the sport of volleyball to help get them there.

Ed - Teaching skills and watch player develop and execute those skills during play.

*What do you base your coaching philosophy?

Larry - My philosophy is to use the game of volleyball to give a voice to the voiceless and power to the powerless. Part of this philosophy is based on our core values, which we use the acronym W.I.L.D.C.A.T.S (Willing. Intense. Leadership. Dedication. Coachable. Assertive. Trust. Sacrifice.-*9)

Ed - My philosophy is that of the head coach!

* What drives you and gives you the passion for what you do?

Larry - Player/personal development

Ed - Athletes executing new skills in matches

* Do you consider yourself a players' coach? If so, how so and if not, what do you consider yourself?

Larry - Yes, I would consider myself a players' coach because I believe in our players having some ownership in our program, while also using my master's degree in strategic leadership by using the servant leadership method to lead our program to the top.

Ed - Yes, I care about the total athlete (athletics, academics, socially and personally) our coaches' doors are always open to help.

* Most unique place you were able to successfully get a recruit from in your coaching career?

Larry - International

Ed - Trinidad and Puerto Rico

* Favorite place to eat on a team road trip?

Larry - McAlister Deli

Ed - McAlister Deli

Wildcats Specific

* Vision for your program?

Larry - My vision for our program is to make the conference tournament this year and win it the following year. Once that is accomplished, we will be chasing top 25 rankings.

Ed - Coach's vision is to be conference championships in 3 years.

* Other than winning the SIAC title and making the NCAA playoffs, what are some team goals you have for the upcoming year?

Larry - Our programs (Men and Women) reaching a team cumulative GPA of 3.3 and receiving national recognition for our academic achievements.

Ed - Head Coach wants to be 80% academic excellence for the school year.

Coach Ed instructing the Wildcats men vs. Central State

* How did you feel your first year went?

Larry - I believe we had a great first year as a group of all freshmen competing against seasoned players. There was a lot of improvement over the season and even more in the spring season.

Ed - 7 of 10 (considering all freshman and first year back)

* Challenges you faced and ones you see ahead for your team?

Larry - Getting our athletes to believe in themselves and buying into the idea that they are more than capable of competing at this level even as a young group. What I see as a potential challenge at the beginning of this season will be building team chemistry as we have added another 8 incoming athletes.

*What you learned in Year 1?

Larry - We are closer to our goals than we thought we would be in year 1.

Ed - We have to win and market the program to a wider audience

* Goals you have had in recruiting the upcoming year's class?

Larry - Our goal is to always bring in talent that is better than what we already have in our gym, raising the competitiveness within our program.

Ed - We never want to be recruiting the current class, always want to be recruiting 1 or 2 years ahead.

* What type of team are you trying to put together?

Larry - A team of dawgs! We want to be more physical and have a higher IQ than our opponents

Ed - We're putting together an aggressive, skilled and athletic team

* What will make your team more successful this year?

Larry - Being fully bought into the vision for the program and what it takes to get there.

Ed - Our team must understand in order for the program to be great they have to put in work on their own without the coach.

* What are you doing yourself to be better at directing your team?

Larry - I am involved with our Southern Region High Performance team, which is a collection of the top players in the region. I work with other high-level coaches to learn from them, as well as bouncing ideas and strategies off one another. The team I had this summer took 2^nd place at the All-Star Championships in Tulsa, OK

Ed - We're constantly attending different seminars and events to continue our sports education

* What is a message you would like alumni, families and fans to know about your team and why continued support is vital?

Larry - We are striving to be a team of the community. We endeavor to help this institution and it's neighbors as much as it helps us, by focusing the spotlight on Fort Valley in order to garner national recognition allowing potential students from across the country to desire Fort valley to become their home as well. We want to change lives!

Ed - We are the community's team, and we represent the community as well as the university when we compete. Any help from the community to help keep us at the top of the sport is appreciated

Coaching Together:

*Did you always want to coach with each other?

Larry - It's always been a dream of ours and to now be able to make that dream a reality is something special.

Ed - Is there any doubt this was a dream for us!

*What dynamic does it add/has it added coaching here at FVSU together?

Larry - Having two coaches that know exactly what the other is thinking or wanting to do makes us something many wish they had as a coaching staff.

Ed - It like have two coaches that can finish each other's thoughts so we accomplish twice as much with minimum assistance.

*How was the first year of on the court coaching together?

Larry - A great learning experience

Ed - It was great!

*Do you each have certain positions you coach …do you separate responsibilities?

Larry - Yes and No. We are both well diverse and able to coach all positions, but I delegate what I want my father to focus on and we divide and conquer.

Ed - Yes, we do but on court we do it naturally. In the office Head handles all the administrative duties and assistant handles recruiting.

*Has it been and is it rewarding to coach with your son/father?

Larry - It is extremely rewarding knowing that my son will be able to go back and see his dad and grandfather worked together while accomplishing this historic moment. As well as being able to have these memories of working with my father for the rest of my life.

Ed - Without question, the experience has been recorded with the American Volleyball Coaches Association for their historic records as the first African American Father and son team.

*Anything else to add on coaching together

Larry - It's nice/fun to be my father's boss. Who would've thought the roles would be switched

Ed – It's not new to us we've just changed roles

++ Any other comments you want to be included in your answers or stressed

Larry - Come see a match and see how special this group of young athletes is!

Ed - We want the community to come out for all home games and support their teams

Coming off a pair of foundation years, the Wildcats son-father Wrather coaching duo has the FVSU volleyball programs headed to new heights. Teams every FVSU fan will want to see, be a part of the success and support in championship runs set to come.

-Wildcats-

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‘Living the Dream’ Directing the ‘Hidden Gem’ Wildcats Volleyball Programs Together