Coaching Career for Clifford Larkins, Ph.D.

Photo of Eastern Michigan University Track Coach, Dr. Clifford Larkins

Highland Park High School, Highland Park, Michigan

1971-1974: Teacher of English and Head Track Coach.

Olivet College, Olivet, MI., Division III

(1978 enrollment, 650 students)

Take a tour of Olivet College, Olivet, MI circa 1978

Visit Olivet College, Olivet, MI as it is today

Primary Duties:
Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Education
Head Track Coach and Head Cross Country Coach, August 1976 - August 1979.
Note: Olivet College had no indoor track and no usable outdoor track at that time.
I resigned in 1979 to enter Michigan State University's Ph.D. program in physical education, specializing in Biomechanics of Sport.

Other Duties:
Taught Kinesiology (I have a BS minor in Physical Education, BA major in English Language and Literature)
Taught Exercise Physiology
Taught Activity courses
Taught English Composition in the Core Humanities Program (I have a MA in English Education, The University of Michigan)

Olivet College Track: The Larkins' Years

(Document in Progress):


1977 track season
            I arrived at Olivet College, just in time for the 1976 cross country season; therefore, my first track season at Olivet College was spring 1977.  I inherited a track team that had graduated a number of very good runners, including Bob Condon, school record holder at 440 yards and 880 yards. He was also MIAA 440 champion in 1973, 1974, and 1976 and 880 records setter in 1975.  Furthermore, in 1975 and 1976, under coach Joe Rogers, Olivet had placed 3rd in the conference, which for Olivet College was exceptional.   However after the 1976 graduation, I arrived to find few seniors and no depth.   Therefore with few experienced athletes and only one or two who were competitive in the conference, in 1977 we were starting nearly from scratch.  The team struggled to a dual meet record of 0 wins and 6 losses.  We then finished the season by placing 6th out of 7 teams in the MIAA Field Day Meet/league champion (MIAA Record Book 2018-19). However, in spite of our inauspicious 1977 track season, the team showed promise, and in fact, a few individuals showed sparks of brilliance, from time to time.

1978 track season
            Recruiting good athletes to a school of only 650 students with no athletic scholarships is not easy; however during the summer of 1977, I reached out to Olivet College’s track alumni as well as to many of my former Eastern Michigan University teammates, many whom had become high school coaches across the state of Michigan.  With their help, I was able to recruit two very good athletes.  That summer I recruited 400m runner Fred Williams from my hometown, Ypsilanti, Michigan, and alumnus Bob Glenn, head coach at Detroit's Cooley High, sent us 800m runner, Kelvin Lewis.  These two athletes added a little more talent and a little more depth to the developing 1977 team.  By the start of the 1978 track season, I had assembled a small but talented and dedicated young nucleus that I hoped would initiate the emergence of a winning program.  However in spite of my aggressive recruiting, our numbers were still too few.  The team continued to struggled to win dual meets and once again we posted a record of 0 wins and 6 losses. Our lack of depth was reflected in the fact that although the team was able to take some firsts against conference runner up, Albion, the Brittons were able to capture the second and third places to secure the win. In spite of the Olivet's 1978 track team finding the going rough in dual meets, I knew that I had a small group of talented and motivated athletes on which I could build.

1979 track season
            The 1979 season was an amazing season.   We were able to reverse our 0-6 records from the previous two seasons and soared to an amazing 5-1 won-loss finish for the dual meet season.  The 5-1, three way tie for 1st place, was and still is Olivet's highest seasonal finish (dual meets) since league records were kept, 1964-2019.  This was an amazing season, by any standard.
            Unfortunately, however, because we had a small team and no depth to draw on, our key runners were forced to compete in multiple events, and the stress and strain on their bodies and minds finally took its toll.  Pat Peregoy, the league's top sprinter and 1978 100m and 200m league champion, was not able to compete in the MIAA Conference Championship Meet and Fred Williams the league's top 400m runner and 400m conference runner-up as a freshman in 1978 was hobbled by a hamstring pull. This cost us a shot at the championship and dampened our "story book" season.  Regardless, in 1978 the MIAA conference was placed on notice that in spite of having fielded a team from only 650 students, no college track on which to train or compete, and very limit facilities, little Olivet College could compete with the best of small colleges.


Eastern Michigan University, MAC Conference, Division I.

Coach Larkins volunteered as the long jump and triple jump coach, from 1974-2011 for both the men's and women's teams.
He was EMU's first triple jump All American, and he produced the second EMU triple jump All American in Joy Inniss.
During the years he volunteered, he has been fortunate to have coached many accomplished jumpers.
Below is a list of some of the jumpers he has coached at EMU.

  • Major Coaching Accomplishments As EMU Volunteer Coach: Triple Jump
    • Helped to produce a two-time indoor NCAA D1 All American in the triple jump
    Helped to produce five indoor conference champions in the triple jump
    Helped to produce five outdoor conference champions in the triple jump
    Helped to produce two conference record holders in the triple jump

  • Long Jump:
    Helped to produce three indoor conference champions in the long jump.
    Helped to produce two outdoor conference champions in the long jump.

EMU's MAC Triple Jump Champions
coached by Dr. Clifford Larkins
Year Athlete Indoor Season Best Outdoor Season Best
1991 Arantxa Garcia 40’ 4 1/4” (MAC-R)/ 40' 10 1/4" (SR) 40' 11 3/4" (MAC/SR/CR)
1992 Arantxa Garcia 40' 10 1/4" 40' 8 1/4"
1992 Joy Inniss 41' 5" (SR) 42' 3/4" (MAC/SR/CR)
1993 Joy Inniss 40' 7 3/4" (MAC-R)

42' 2" (SR/NCAA-AA)

 40' 11 1/4" (MAC-MOP)
1994 Joy Inniss 41' 3 1/4"(MAC)

42' 3 1/4" (SR/NCAA-AA)

 40' 11 1/4"/ (MAC-MOP)

42' 4" (SR/ Qualified for NCAA)
1996 Allia Hanson
(MAC)
1997 Allia Hanson 40' 7 1/4" (MAC)

2000 Allia Hanson 41' 5 3/4" (PR)
2009-2010 Oliver Walther 49' 1/4" (MAC) 48' 5 1/4" (MAC)
(NCAA-AA) NCAA D1 All American (CR) Conference Record (MAC) MAC Champion
(MAC-R) MAC Champion & Record (MAC-MOP) MAC Most Outstanding Performer (SR) School Record


EMU's MAC Long Jump Champions
Coached by Dr. Clifford Larkins

Year Athlete Indoor Season Best Outdoor Season Best
1992 Joy Inniss 19' 9" (2nd-MAC)
1993 Joy Inniss 19' 8 3/4"(MAC) / 20’ 2 ¼” (Ranked 2nd EMU all time) 19' 6" (2nd-MAC/ MAC-MOP)
1994 Joy Inniss 19’ ¼” (MAC) / 19' 8 3/4"
 19' 2 1/4" (MAC/MAC-MOP)
1996 Allia Hanson 19' 4 3/4" (PR)
1997 Allia Hanson (MAC)

Other EMU Male Triple Jumpers
coached by Dr. Clifford Larkins
Year Athlete Indoor Season Best Outdoor Season Best
1981 Vernon Attles 46' 9" (14.25) 47' 5" (14.45)
1983 Steve Banks 50 '0" (15.24) 50' 0" (15.24)
1985 Terry Beauford 49' 7" (15.11)
1980 Phil Cole 47' 8 1/2" (14.54) 47' 10 3/4" (14.60)
1983 Eric Hartfield 47' 8 1/2" (14.54) 49' 7" (15.11)
1983 Marvin Jenkins 50' 0" (15.24)
1979/1978 Greg Joseph 47' 8 1/2" (14.54) 46' 4 3/4" (14.14)
2010 Oliver Walther 49' 1/4" 48' 5 1/4"
1981/1979 Ray Washington 48' 7" (14.81) 47' 4 3/4" (14.445)

Other EMU Male Long Jumpers
coached by Dr. Clifford Larkins

Year Athlete Indoor Season Best Outdoor Season Best
1976 Clayton Alexander 23' 4 3/4" (7.13)
1983 Steve Banks 23' 3 1/4" (7.09) 23' 11" (7.29)
1985 Darren Carpenter 23' 11" (7.29) 23' 11" (7.29)
1974/1975 Clarence Chapman 24' 3/4 " (7.335) 24' 8" (7. 25)
1981/1983 Eric Hartfield 22'1" (6.73) 23' 3 1/4" (7.09)
1976 Carlos Henderson 23' 5 3/4" (7.155) 23' 7" (7.19)
1974 Anthony Joseph 23' 7 3/4" (7.205)
1975 Ken McKay 22' 2" (6.755) 23' 1/4" (7.015)
1978 Terry Thames 24' 4 1/4" (7.42)
1982/1979 Ray Washington 23' 5 1/2" (7.15) 23' 7 1/2" (7.20)