Athletics Administrator Larry Falk Passes Away

[torre 1298]

Many of you may know,  most have seen Big Larry at football or baseball games and practice.   One of the most congenial persons I have met - a great Longhorn.   RIP,  Big Larry !

 

 

Longtime Texas athletics administrator Larry Falk, a fixture at UT sporting events for the better part of 30 years, died Thursday morning in his sleep, according to a family friend. He was 58.

Falk, known for his gregarious personality and his large frame — earning him the nickname “Big Larry” on campus — was hired in 1981 and served as a student manager for the football team before going on to become the equipment manager.

After a decade with the football team, he was promoted to operations manager of the facilities department before he settled in as the assistant athletics director for operations in 2007, a position he held for eight years until he retired in 2014. He was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor in 2013.

Falk could often be spotted tooling between campus athletic facilities on his golf cart with his huge key ring dangling.

“He was always at work,” former Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds said Thursday. “He was the first guy there every morning and the last guy to leave at night. He had a key to everything. He knew more about what was going on than anybody on staff because he talked to everybody — players, coaches and administrators. He loved everybody.”

Former Texas football and track star Eric Metcalf said he spoke with Falk last week before Falk had entered the hospital for a foot procedure.

“We were really close,” Metcalf said Thursday. “The university was like Larry’s kid. He was part of the campus and the whole program. It was his life."

Falk accompanied Texas teams to 22 bowl games, including the 2005 national title win over USC and was also on hand for 10 trips to the College World Series. He was the tournament director for many regional and super regional baseball tournaments at Disch-Falk Field and a longtime assistant director for the Texas Relays.

https://www.hookem.com/story/sports/2021/05/27/larry-falk-worked-texas-athletics-more-than-three-decades/7477925002/

 

 

[TexArcher 39077]

RIP and Hook'em.

[NorthLoop 14524]

Didn't know of him, but sounds like he had a dream job for a die hard UT fan. 

[Vito Andolini 9459]

I didn’t catch during the first read thru that he had retired in 2014. Then the rest of the article included this line, dripping in melancholia:

Quote

Falk battled health problems in retirement but always maintained a cheerful disposition. He was single with no children.

Larry, I didn’t know you, but RIP, my man. 

[ImissWallyPryor 9046]

Sounds like he started at Bellmont when he was 21 or 22. 

[Honeysucklerose 1006]

I knew Big Larry when I worked for athletics in the early 2000s. Really great guy. RIP Larry

[DalTxHornFan 3130]

Didn't know him, but it's way cool that they'd already put his name on the Texas baseball park.  RIP, Big Larry.

[Steel Shank 9563]

Bet his estate sale will have some cool shit.

Hook Em, Larry!

[Lynchburg Horn 11]

7 hours ago, Honeysucklerose said:

I knew Big Larry when I worked for athletics in the early 2000s. Really great guy. RIP Larry

Same.  I have distinct memories of him constantly talking over those Nextel walkie talkie like features with people all over the athletics dept. while he was sitting and watching baseball practice or games.  Damn good dude.  Definition of bleeding orange

[TrashMaster G 18134]

I did not know him, but certainly saw him many, many times over the years.  RIP.

[MontereyMX 955]

Can we ask how he died?

[Armybrat 41442]

RIP Mr. Falk. 🤘

[jinx 2636]

Double posted from the offseason thread:

Big Larry is part of one of my favorite VY moments. 

After beating Baylor 56-0 in Waco in 2003, Big Lar was standing cross armed and guarding the fenced off area through the concourse where the Horns run through to the locker room. Most were trotting to the locker room, but Vince came literally skipping by, did a 360 spin combined with a firm hand slap on Larry's ass, and kept on skipping to the locker room. Larry hardly blinked.

RIP big guy. He seemed like a guy who truly loved his job.

[torre 1298]

2 hours ago, MontereyMX said:

Can we ask how he died?

Article stated he encountered health issues since retirement in 2014.     Eric Metcalf stated he had foot surgery last week.

Not a physician and pure speculation,  but when a person has surgery (especially Larrry's size) blood clots may form.   You may have known of athletes having blood clots from knee surgery.   Blood thinners are quite often recommended for everyone after surgery. 

Please excuse the speculation.  Wanted to emphasize the often need for blood thinners after surgery.     RIP,  Larry  !

[RC Horn 164]

I knew Larry back when I was a UT football manager back in 1984. Great guy, relative of UT Baseball legend Bibb Falk.  RIP Big Larry 

[Longhornstampede 3227]

Well, Falk! RIP Big Larry. I never knew of him but damn that would have been a dream job for any orange blood. Sounds like he had a great ride on campus.

[Hairy Biped 604]

Horns up for Big Larry.  May he RIP.

[Domedriver 655]

🤘😢

horns up!

[TexMexBuddha 1006]

RIP Larry. Hook'em

[Deej 77874]

Didn't he come over from the Samford branch?

Seriously, though R.I.P.

 

 

[4th_and_18 709]

Met with Big Larry when I was a student org leader. His office was amazing. Floor to ceiling signed memorabilia on every wall. And about three doors down was a conference room stocked with sodas and bbq lunch every day. He told me he had just as much signed stuff at home if not more. Seemed to know everyone and always had a smile on his face. That’s the second longtime facilities manager/director we’ve lost in about a year or so with the other being longtime softball facilities manager Hal. Those guys told some great stories. An amazing thing about both was they could connect any random person with an athlete who passed through campus. “Oh, you went to Barber’s Hill? What year? They had a second baseman that year who played in the Austin regional for Directional college and nearly won the game, but Texas Player X made a great catch to end the game.”

[Lat22 4089]

RIP Big Larry. Guy was a fixture at just about every venue I’ve ever seen the Horns play. 

[Catpfish 618]

He had lost a LOT of weight (looked like a completely different person) and was battling cancer (fuck cancer) along with other ailments.

I had the distinct pleasure of visiting the Big Daddy Lounge in Pasadena the night before (or maybe the night before that) the National Championship game.  There were several baseball and football alumni in attendance.  Even had a T-shirt at one point, not sure where it is.