Larry Dan Tidwell (born May 14, 1953) is the head coach for the Schulenburg High School womenâÂÂs basketball team. Before moving to Kansas, he served as women's basketball head coach from 2013âÂÂ2018 at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, having been retained when his former institution, the University of TexasâÂÂPan American (UTPA), merged with the University of Texas at Brownsville. Prior to this position, he was head coach of the Lamar Lady Cardinals basketball team for six seasons from 2007âÂÂ2013, as well as the Lamar athletics director from June 2010 to May 2011.
In the 2009âÂÂ10 season, the Lady Cardinals posted a 26âÂÂ8 overall record and a 13âÂÂ3 mark in the Southland Conference. Lamar won the Southland Conference regular-season and tournament titles, as the Lady Cards advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991. The 26 wins were the second-most in school history. Tidwell was named the Texas Basketball Coaches Association Division I Women's Basketball Coach of the Year for his efforts. One of Tidwell's 2009âÂÂ10 players, Jenna Plumley, was named Southland Conference Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. Plumley was among the national leaders in threeâÂÂpointers, assists, and steals.
The Lady Cardinals almost matched the 2009âÂÂ10 record the following season finishing 25âÂÂ8 overall and 13âÂÂ3 in conference. The Lady Cardinals also competed in the WNIT. After his Lady Cardinals competed in the 2013 Women's Basketball Invitational tournament finishing the season with a 22âÂÂ11 overall record, Larry Tidwell resigned as Lady Cardinals head basketball coach on April 4, 2013 to take a similar position at UTPA. Tidwell's teams had a 128âÂÂ66 overall record in his six seasons as head coach of the Lady Cardinals. He ranks first on Lamar's all-time list for wins.
Tidwell came to UTPA in 2013 after serving six seasons as head coach of the Lamar Lady Cardinals basketball team. He left Lamar as that program's winningest coach in school history winning 128 victories and making three post season appearances (NCAA, WNIT, and WBI). In his first season at Texas-Pan American, his team tied program records for wins in a season and for conference wins in a season. Tidwell's 2014âÂÂ15 team showed continued improvement finishing the season with a 19âÂÂ15 overall record and a conference record of 9âÂÂ5. Competing in the 2015 WAC women's basketball tournament, the Broncs reached the championship game where they fell to New Mexico State. Under Coach Tidwell, the Broncs received an invitation to the 2015 Women's Basketball Invitational, the first postseason invitation in the program's history. \
In 2010, the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) named Tidwell "Division I Coach of the Year" for women's college basketball. The honor was repeated at the conclusion of the 2014âÂÂ15 season with Tidwell being honored as the TABC "Division I Coach of the Year" for women's division I basketball for a second time.
In 2002, he earned AFLAC National Assistant Coach of the Year.
He is a member of the Austin College and Sanger High School's Halls of Fame.