After 38 years of teaching and coaching, Ponca City boys tennis coach Brad Larimer is hanging up his whistle.

His retirement marks the end of an era. The name Larimer has been associated with Po-Hi tennis since the 1960s. Brad’s late father, Steve, joined the legendary Coach Wally Smith’s coaching staff in 1961, working with junior high teams. He later became head boys coach in 1979, and served until his retirement. Steve Larimer was affectionately known as “Big Daddy” to his players and his friends.

Brad Larimer got his start in coaching 38 years ago as an assistant boys basketball coach at East and West Middle Schools. He then served a stint as Blackwell High School’s head coach of the boys basketball team and while there coached girls and boys tennis. In 1996, he returned to Ponca City and was assistant on the girls basketball team. He also served as junior high tennis coach and coached ninth grade football.

In 1999, he was named Po-Hi’s head girls tennis coach, working along with his father, Steve, who was the boys head coach.

Dwight Winburn, who served for years as Newkirk’s girls basketball coach and then moved to Po-Hi to be Lady Cat basketball coach and eventually Po-Hi athletic director, talked Larimer in accepting the job as Newkirk’s head boys basketball coach. He served in that capacity as well as Newkirk’s softball coach for three years.

Moving back to Po-Hi in 2008, Brad Larimer took over the reins as boys tennis coach and assistant for the girls basketball program. Eventually, he left girls basketball but continued as boys tennis coach.

During his career, Brad Larimer has been named Coach of the Year for Class 6A boys tennis by the Oklahoma Tennis Coaches Association. He won that prestigious award not once, but twice.

Looking back on his career, Larimer notes that he has had some good athletes to work with. As girls coach, his teams were in the Top 5 in Class 6A five times and finished as runner-up in 2004 and third one other time.

“I had a good bunch of boys, as well,” he said. That includes the Langston brothers, Blake and Daniel, who placed high in the state rankings. Daniel won individual state championships. “The kids worked hard over the years.”

“We were third in State Academics,” Larimer added.

In more recent years, Larimer has battled the effects of cancer. He is in his third bout with the disease and missed almost all the past season. He missed the recent Tennis Awards dinner in which he was honored with a tribute.

One-time assistant Ryan Shelton delivered the tribute, and he summed up Larimer’s career with three characteristics -- “Devoted, Honorable and Humble”.

Shelton shared a story, which Larimer fleshed out later. It involved the Langston brothers. Blake was two years older than Daniel and both were top-notch tennis players.

Larimer noted that they were close to being equal the year Blake was a senior. Blake played at No. 1 Singles and Daniel was No. 2.

“I offered Blake a chance to move to No. 2 where he undoubtedly would have won a state championship, but he declined choosing to stay at No. 1. At the Regional Tournament an opposing coach objected, saying ‘You have your best player at No. 2. I think they should be switched.’” “I told the other coaches that they could decide and Ryan (Shelton) and I left the room. When we came back, we found out that the other coaches had voted 6-1 to let the boys stay where they were.”

Blake finished fourth at No. 1 and Daniel won the No. 2 state championship.

Also retiring this year is Larry Williams, who has been head girls coach for 13 years. Lynne Collenbeck has been filling in during Larimer’s absence this past season.