Larry McNeil has completed his fourth season with Alabama A&M women's basketball, as he joined the Lady Bulldog staff in July 2016 as an assistant coach.
McNeil is in charge of guard development and brings a wealth of experience in coaching women's basketball at the NCAA Division I and NAIA levels for more than 25 years.
The 2019-20 season was the most successful in McNeil’s tenure with the team. The 17 Lady Bulldog wins were a new program record for victories against Division-I opponents, and the team looked prime to have a say in the SWAC Basketball Tournament.
After winning 11 games the year prior, McNeil helped the 2018-19 Lady Bulldogs secure double-digit wins (13) for consecutive years for first time since 2010-12. Guard play was key for the 13-win team as guards scored 73.9 percent of the points on the year. Guards Nigeria Jones and Deshawna Harper combined to lead the team in scoring in 17 of their 30 games on the year, while Jones also led the Lady Bulldogs in points, assists and steals on the season.
No stranger to the SWAC, McNeil came to Huntsville after serving as the Director of Player Development at Prairie View A&M during the 2014-15 season. That year, the Panthers went on to win the SWAC Conference Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to his time with PVAMU, McNeil returned to Jackson State in 2012 as the interim women’s basketball coach. Named head coach only two months before the start of the 2012-13 campaign, McNeil guided JSU to double-digit wins (11) for the first time since the 2007-08 campaign and a berth in the first round of the 2011 SWAC Tournament.
In 2011, McNeil made a stop in North Texas where he joined as an assistant for one season, after switching roles and serving on the athletic administrative side as Jackson State's Assistant Director of Compliance for two years.
Prior to his administrative experience, McNeil served as on the bench an assistant women’s basketball coach for the Tigers from 2002-2007. During the five-year stint, McNeil helped the Tigers win four SWAC regular season conference titles and three WNIT appearances.
McNeil got his NCAA Division I opportunity as an assistant coach at the University of Illinois-Chicago from 1998-01, after a successful tenure at Talladega. During his time at UIC, McNeil helped secure the 18th and 19th ranked recruiting classes in the country.
McNeil began coaching as an assistant coach at Talladega College in 1989. In 1993, he accepted the assistant women's basketball coach position at Northeastern Illinois, and from there received the head coaching position at Talladega College in 1994.
At Talladega College, McNeil led the team to a 63-63 record and two NAIA Regional 27 title games.
Before McNeil stepped on the hardwood, he was a member of the United States Army Reserve, serving from 1982-92. During that time he was promoted to Staff Sergeant during Operation Desert Storm.
He is married to Gloria McNeil and the couple has three sons and four grandchildren.
