Receiving is from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday,
funeral on Wednesday at 11 a.m.
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
HICKORY – Larry A. Wittenberg, who succeeded a legendary head football coach at Hickory High in the mid-1980s by guiding teams that shared three league titles in his seven seasons, has died.
Wittenberg, 79, passed on Saturday at his residence, and Bass-Smith Funeral Home is handling to-be-announced arrangements for the family.
Visitation is from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16, and the funeral is at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 17, both at First Baptist in Hickory.
LARRY A. WITTENBERG (Christ United Baptist photo via Facebook)
He was a long-time fixture in athletics at HHS long before he was promoted from assistant coach to head football coach at HHS in 1985 to replace the late Frank Barger, who called the shots for the Red Tornadoes from 1953 until retiring after the 1984 team went 6-4.
Wittenberg took over as head coach in 1985 with his first team (7-4 overall, 5-1) sharing a Northwestern 4A title with East Burke, and his second team (8-4, 5-1) shared a league title with McDowell.
A third Wittenberg-coached team (1990, going 9-3, 5-1) shared a conference title with East Burke.
Hickory went 41-36 in seven seasons with Wittenberg, a 1957 HHS graduate, as head coach.
He left after the 1991 season – when the Red Tornadoes went 4-7 overall and to the postseason for the fifth time in his tenure as head coach – and Bob Hanna came from Lumberton to serve two seasons as HHS’ head coach.
David Elder, who worked with Wittenberg on Barger’s coaching staff, took over in 1994. Three seasons later, the Red Tornadoes went 16-0 and won a state 3A title.
One of Wittenberg’s sons, Allen, has also been a head football coach in the Greater Hickory area — first at Draughn and then for two seasons at HHS, where he played. His assistant coaching tenures started in 1996 at Fred T. Foard, and he spent 11 years (2001-12) as an assistant at HHS before being named defensive coordinator at Patton for two years.
Allen Wittenberg coached the Red Tornadoes in 2015 and 2016, his teams going 1-10 and 2-9, respectively.
Larry Wittenberg’s 1985 HHS team was led by running back Damon King (seven rushing TDs, four TD receptions) and quarterbacked by Mike Craft (seven passing TDs).
The next season, King ran for 16 scores as the Red Tornadoes again shared a conference crown.
The 1990 team that shared a league title was sparked by running back Pedie King (nine rushing TDs) and quarterback Michael Glasheen threw for 13 scores, 10 of them to Chad Bumgarner.
LARRY WITTENBERG’S TEAMS
A look at the seven Hickory High football teams that Larry Wittenberg, who died on Saturday, led as head coach:
Year Conf./Finish All
1985 5-1/Tie 1 7-4*
1986 5-1/Tie 1 8-4*
1987 4-2/Tie 2 6-4
1988 4-2/Third 5-6*
1989 2-4/Fifth 2-8
1990 5-1/Tie 1 9-3*
1991 3-3/Tie 3 4-7*
TOTALS 27-14 41-36
*–reached state playoffs
Notes: Hickory’s head football coaches since Larry Wittenberg left the position – Bob Hanna; David Elder; John Worley; Tom Harper; Mike Helms, Forrest Blake (interim); Allen Wittenberg; Russell Stone.
SOURCE: HobbsDailyReport.com research and files