SALEM, Va. – Glenvar High School honored longtime coach Larry Wood with a field dedication ceremony recognizing more than five decades of service to high school athletics and the Glenvar community.
Wood, who began his coaching career in 1971, spent 49 years at Glenvar High School contributing across multiple sports programs. His coaching tenure included 18 years in football, 15 in basketball, 25 in baseball, along with stints in gymnastics, wrestling and softball. He also taught health and physical education for 29 years, drove athletic buses for nearly four decades and served on the football chain crew from 1988 to 2022.
Best known for his success on the baseball diamond, Wood led Glenvar to a Group A state championship in 1994 after finishing as runner-up in 1993. He was named state coach of the year in 1994 and coached in the Virginia High School All-Star Game in both 1993 and 1994. During the 1990s, his teams compiled a 150-51-2 record. Wood was inducted into the Salem-Roanoke Valley Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003.
In addition to his high school coaching career, Wood served as head baseball coach at Roanoke College for seven years before retiring in 2012.
Wood’s impact extended well beyond coaching. He played a key role in developing Glenvar’s athletic facilities, helping build baseball dugouts, a concession stand and storage building, installing the field and outfield fence, and constructing the school’s first batting cage, which remained in use until 2024. He also assisted in maintaining multiple athletic fields for more than 25 years and helped install visitor bleachers at the football stadium.
Known for his dedication to students and the community, Wood supported families in need, maintained team equipment and continues to mentor athletes while serving as an assistant coach for the Glenvar varsity softball program.
School officials said Wood’s legacy is defined not only by wins and championships, but by the lasting relationships he built and the influence he has had on generations of student-athletes.
As for the game that was played Friday night, Floyd County spoiled the fun by topping Glenvar in a 4-3 victory.