Harry Eugene Larche (July 12, 1923 – May 31, 2005) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Toledo from 1957 to 1959 and at Graceland University in three separate stints spanning 1960 to 1973.
In 1951, Larche returned to his alma mater as an assistant football coach.[7][8] In 1954, he followed head coach Forrest England to the University of Toledo.[9] He left the school after one season to enter private business. In 1956, he was the head coach of the Maumee Valley Country Day School and led the school to a 6–1 record; its best season to that point.[10]
On January 13, 1957, Toledo fired England and Jack Morton (who had served as interim football coach while England was recovering from a heart attack) and named Larche its new football coach.[11] He compiled a 11–15–1 record over three seasons and resigned on December 2, 1959 after a 2–7–1 season.[12]
In 1960, Larche became the head football coach at Graceland College.[13] For the 1961 homecoming game, Larche suited up one of the school's administrative assistants, Clara Engle. With a safe lead over Tarkio College, Larche put Engle in for a single play in the fourth quarter, where she was instructed to run 15 yards down the field.[14]
He left Graceland in 1965 to become head wrestling coach and an associate professor of physical education at Western Illinois University.[15] The following year he became the head of the physical education department at Pan American College.[8] He was removed from this position by president Ralph Schilling in 1968 after Larche criticized the school's grading system.[16]
Larche returned to Graceland in 1969 and coached the football team through the 1973 season.
Later life
From 1975 to 1989, Larche was a professor of physical education at Campbell University.[17] In 1998, he was inducted into the Arkansas State football Ring of Honor.[18]
