SURVIVED BY HIS LOVING WIFE OF 40 YEARS, MARY KAY HUNTER, AND BELOVED FURBABIES. PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS PARENTS, ROBERT W. AND MILDRED MEEK HUNTER. SURVIVED BY HIS SISTER, DONNA JEAN BROWN (DARRELL), BROTHER, GARRY E. HUNTER (REBECCA), NEPHEWS DENNIS BROWN AND SHAWN HUNTER, NIECE, DEBBRA BROWN RIGGS, GREAT NIECE AND NEPHEW, STEPHANIE ELDRIDGE AND JASON RIGGS, AND MANY AUNTS, UNCLES AND COUSINS. ALSO SURVIVED BY HIS EXTENDED FAMILY OF 47 YEARS OF BASKETBALL STUDENT ATHLETES, TEAM MEMBERS, AND ASSOCIATES.
COACH HUNTER WAS BORN IN ATHENS, OHIO, AUGUST 8, 1949, AND GREW UP IN THE PLAINS, OHIO. HE GRADUATED FROM THE PLAINS HIGH SCHOOL AND OHIO UNIVERSITY. HIS 47 YEAR COLLEGIATE CAREER INCLUDED ASSISTANT AND ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH POSITIONS AT MARIETTA COLLEGE AND NC STATE UNIVERSITY AND HEAD COACHING POSITIONS AT WITTENBERG UNIVERSITY, OHIO UNIVERSITY, AND WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY FROM WHERE HE STEPPED DOWN IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR.
SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF HIS CAREER INCLUDE A DIVISION III NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1977 AND NUMEROUS REGULAR SEASON AND CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS AT WITTENBERG UNIVERSITY, A 1994 MID AMERICAN CONFERENCE SEASON AND CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP ON A TEAM LED BY THE “SHAQ OF THE MAC”, GARY TRENT, AND PRESEASON NIT TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP THE FOLLOWING YEAR. HE WAS NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR TWICE AT WITTENBERG, ONCE AT OHIO, AND NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR IN 1977. HIS PLAYERS HAVE EARNED NUMEROUS CONFERENCE AND ALL AMERICAN HONORS UNDER HIS TUTELAGE. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE WITTENBERG HALL OF HONOR IN 1996 AND THE OHIO BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME IN 2016. IN THE LAST YEAR, HE BECAME ONE OF ONLY 40 NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL COACHES ALL TIME TO REACH 700 CAREER VICTORIES. HE WAS THE 8TH WINNINGEST ACTIVE COACH IN DIVISION I IN 2018.
HIS GREATEST SOURCE OF PRIDE WAS NOT THE WINS AND LOSSES, HONORS BESTOWED, OR CHAMPIONSHIPS WON. IT WAS THE LOVE AND PASSION FOR TEACHING LIFE SKILLS ON THE COURT THAT WOULD GIVE YOUNG MEN THE TOOLS NECESSARY TO BECOME THE BEST ADULTS THEY POSSIBLY COULD BE. HE DID THIS THROUGH HIS OWN RELENTLESS HARD WORK AND NEVER QUIT ATTITUDE. AS LARRY WOULD ALWAYS SAY, “KEEP CHOPPING WOOD” WHICH HE DID UNTIL THE DAY HE DIED. HE PLACED GREAT EMPHASIS ON THE “STUDENT” IN STUDENT ATHLETE. ALL BUT ONE PLAYER HE RECRUITED AND COMPLETED ELIGIBILITY WITH, GRADUATED. INHERITED PLAYERS FROM A PREVIOUS STAFF THAT DID NOT GRADUATE, NUMBERED 3. HE NEVER GAVE UP ON THEM, EITHER!
A SERVICE WILL BE HELD SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2018 AT BROWN-WYNNE FUNERAL HOME IN CARY, NC AT 1:00PM. THE FAMILY WILL GREET FRIENDS FOLLOWING THE SERVICE. A SERVICE WILL BE HELD IN ATHENS, OHIO, AT THE PLAINS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH ON SATURDAY, MAY 19TH AT 1:00 PM. INTERMENT WILL BE IN THE WEST UNION STREET CEMETERY, ATHENS, OHIO. ALL ARE WELCOME
IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, THOSE WISHING TO HONOR COACH ARE ASKED TO MAKE A DONATION TO WITTENBERG UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL, NC STATE UNIVERSITY WOLFPACK CLUB, OR SOUTH OF THE BULLY RESCUE(SOTB), 3160 HWY 21, SUITE 103, #40, FT. MILL, SC 29715(PAYPAL: [email protected]).
CONDOLENCES CAN BE SENT TO: [email protected]
