Hall of Fame
Larry DiBiase came to Newberry in 1965 as a walk-on player on both the basketball and baseball teams. He entered the coaching ranks at Camden High School following his graduation in 1969. While at Camden, DiBiase made four consecutive playoff appearances and advanced to the state semifinals twice. He then spent two seasons at Baptist College (now Charleston Southern) before taking the reins of the Indians' program immediately after the legendary 36-1 season of 1976-77. Over the next six seasons, DiBiase led the Indians to 118 wins, one of only three coaches in school history to reach triple figures in the win column. His .582 winning percentage ranks second in school history.
DiBiase's first five teams all reached the 20-win plateau, the only coach in school history with five consecutive 20-win seasons. The streak also included five of a school-record 11 consecutive winning seasons. All six of his teams made NAIA District 6 playoff appearances, while he coached the Indians to Little Four Tournament championships in 1979 and 1982.
He departed Newberry following the 1982-83 season and founded sports marketing firm Jersey Promotions, creating high school baseball and softball all-star games and turning the all-star basketball game into a television commodity. He then became an insurance agent with State Farm, winning numerous honors within the company over a 30-year career.
He returned to coaching with the Carolina Shamrocks AAU girls basketball team, winning four straight state championships and a national title in 1996. He also won over 40 games and a Region Coach of the Year award at Cardinal Newman and took the Cardinals to the state semifinals in his second and final year at the helm. He has served the Newberry College community in a number of ways, including as Alumni President in 2015-16, a full member of the Board of Trustees since 2014, and an Associate Member for four years prior.
