| Larry Snyder | |
| Birth Date: | 9 August 1896 |
| Birth Place: | Canton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Alma Mater: | Ohio State University |
| Player Years1: | 1922–1924 |
| Player Team1: | Ohio State |
| Coach Years1: | 1932–1942 |
| Coach Team1: | Ohio State |
| Coach Years2: | 1946–1965 |
| Coach Team2: | Ohio State |
| Coach Years3: | 1952 |
| Coach Team3: | U.S. Olympic Team (assistant) |
| Coach Years4: | 1960 |
| Coach Team4: | U.S. Olympic Team |
Lawrence Snyder (August 9, 1896 – September 25, 1982) was an American track and field athlete, coach, and military veteran. He served as the track and field coach at Ohio State University from 1932 to 1965.[1]
Larry Snyder was portrayed by Jason Sudeikis in the 2016 biopic, Race, about Olympic athlete Jesse Owens.[2]
A graduate of Canton High School (OH), Snyder served as a pilot instructor during World War I, later doing some stunt flying in the early 1920s. He enrolled at Ohio State University shortly thereafter and earned three letters as a high hurdler from 1922–24.[3]
Snyder was an instructor pilot in World War I and also served in the U.S. Navy in World War II.[4]
Snyder was due to participate in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris as a runner, but was injured in an airplane crash a few weeks before he was due to leave for the game. This ended his hope of an athletic career, leaving him only the option of being a coach and training others.
The most heralded athlete coached by Larry Snyder was Jesse Owens, and Coach Snyder helped improve Jesse's techniques and performance.[5]
Other successful athletes coached by Snyder were Dave Albritton, Glenn Davis and "Marvelous Mal" Whitfield. All told, Snyder's OSU athletes set 14 world records, won 52 All-Americans certificates and eight Olympic gold medals. Snyder was inducted into Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame in 1977.
Snyder was the U.S. track and field assistant coach in 1952 (Helsinki) and the head coach in 1960 (Rome).[1] Under his coaching, the 1952 USA team won 40 medals in Helsinki[6] and the 1960 team won 32 medals in Rome.[7]