Veteran
Hampton Coach inducted into Tuskegee Hall of Fame
October 27, 2004
Tuskegee, Ala. – Hampton University
head softball and volleyball coach, Tiny L. Laster, Jr.,
was recently inducted
into the Tuskegee University Athletic Hall of Fame.
Laster, a veteran coach with over 30 years of experience
on the collegiate level of athletics, is a 1967 graduate
from Tuskegee. After departing as a student, Laster went
on to post one of the best coaching records in school, history
for women’s basketball as a head coach. He went on
to collect three consecutive AAIAW State Championships (1976-79),
one SIAC title (1978-79) and four straight 20-win seasons
with the Tigerettes. Not only did he collect 20-win seasons,
but Laster also recorded a 30-win season via a 34-5 overall
mark during the 1978-79 season.
In succeeding years, Laster took the Lady
Tigers’ program
to the top of the NCAA Division II charts and into uncharted
waters of the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Tuskegee went on to compete in one of the more memorable
games in school history during the 1981-82 season as the
Lady Tigers advanced to the NCAA Division II title game.
Though taking home second place in the tournament, the name
of Tuskegee was surely on the map … and the name Tiny
Laster was right beside it. Laster led Tuskegee to another
NCAA Tournament appearance in 1982-83, but that was only
after recording yet another SIAC Tournament championship
and 20-win season.
He went on to become head coach of the Hampton University
Volleyball and Softball program. Once in place, Laster took
the softball program to new heights never seen before. After
taking over the program in 1989, he ascended the Lady Pirates
to the top of the CIAA in a very short matter of time. In
his 16 years as head coach of the Lady Pirates, Laster has
racked up 13 winning seasons and an average of nearly 27
wins per season.
He guided the Lady Pirates to win two CIAA Championships
(1993, ’95) and one very memorable MEAC Championship
(1996). He helped to produce several All-Conference players
and numerous championship appearances.
Laster enjoys serving on several other committees and groups
around the nation. He is a proud member of the NCAA Division
I Softball and Volleyball Committee, as well as serving as
President of the MEAC Softball Coaches Association. He is
also a very proud member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity,
Inc. and a 40-year pin recipient, as well as a member of
the Beta Kappa Chi Scientific Honor Society. Laster also
holds the honor of being a member of the Phi Delta Kappa
Educational Fraternity.
Not only has Laster just taught his motives out loud and
on clipboards, he has written two books: “A Screening
Attack versus the Zone Defense” and “The P-E-R
System”. Both of these books were geared around teaching
young ladies the game of basketball in a more in-depth formula … only
fitting for a chemistry major.
Other members of the Class of 2004:
Cynthia "Dr. Woo" Bruton won
2 AAIAW championships and the first SIAC women's basketball
championship. She was all conference in AAIAW and was on
the first SIAC All-conference team. In 1979, she became the
first female pro player in Tuskegee's history as the 6th
draft choice of Dallas Diamonds of Women's Basketball League.
Lonzo Bullie ('71), outstanding defensive
back for Golden Tiger from '65-'69 was named 1st team All-Conference "B" Division,
1st team All-conference defensive back, and NAIA All-American
(honorable mention). He was drafted as free agent by NY Giants
in 1969. He coached at Tuskegee from 1981-1983 and at Knoxville
College from 1984-1989, earning SIAC Coach of the year honors
in 1986 and 1987.
Maurice M. Crump Sr. ('69) - B.S., Building
and Construction Science; lettered in football and baseball.
He was honorable mention All-SIAC in 1965 and first team
all conference defensive end '66, 67, & '68. Crump was
drafted as a free agent with Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969.
During his time at Tuskegee he was also a 3-year letterman
in baseball and maintained academic honor roll status from
1966-1968.
Larry H. Jemison ('69), captain of Tuskegee track team from
1965-1969, was SIAC 440m champion in 1966.
Andrea Thomas Johnson ('84), the first
woman to be named All-SIAC for 4 years, averaged a double/double
(rebounding/scoring) for her career. She was MVP of 1983
SIAC tourney and named to virtually every all conference
and all tourney team roster from '81-'84 including 1984 National
Association of Women Sports All-American team.
Sonya "Cookie" Kennedy ('83)
- B.S., Health and Phys Ed is the only Tigerette to be named
head coach of TU's women's basketball team. She was 1st team
All American during the 1980-81 and '81-'82 seasons (American
Women's Sports Federation), Kennedy was named SIAC women's
basketball coach of year '88-'89.
Rosemary Swan ('81) played basketball for 4 years, tennis
for 2 years, and track/field for 4 years. She also served
as scorekeeper and statistician for the volleyball team for
two years, amassing 12 varsity letters during her time at
TU.
Albert Lee "Tipping" Terry ('51)
played football and ran track, lettering in both sports.
He acquired the nickname "Tipping" Terry because
of his agility and speed as a running and defensive back
and as the lead runner on 4x100 and 4x800 track team. He
ran on his tiptoes. Terry was captain of the '50-'51 Golden
Tiger track team. As a high school coach in Alabama, he amassed
a record of 252-64 and was the 1st African-American football
coach to win a state championship in the Alabama Interscholastic
Athletic Assn (1962).
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