After three straight NCAA Tournaments, Spartan coach Larry Vickers hired at Auburn

NORFOLK, Va. — NORFOLK, Va. (WTKR) — The Norfolk State women capped off its non-conference slate this season with a 63-57 win at Auburn, its second victory over a Power 5 school in its campaign.

As it turns out, the Tigers administration might have been watching Spartan's coach Larry Vickers closely.

On Sunday, the school announced it is hiring Vickers away from Norfolk State to become its head coach.

“Coach Vickers has an incredible technical understanding of women’s basketball," said Tigers athletic director John Cohen. "He demands excellence from his student-athletes, while fostering an environment for young women to succeed. His understanding of the new landscape of college athletics is impressive. No one has worked harder for an opportunity like this than Coach Vickers."

The move comes on the heels of Norfolk State's most historic season in its history. Vickers saw the green and gold win a program record 30 games, take home its third straight MEAC Tournament title, and earn a No. 13 seed in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. That is the highest the Spartans have ever been seeded in the Big Dance.

“I want to thank President Roberts, John Cohen and the entire search committee for this incredible opportunity to lead the Auburn women’s basketball program,” Vickers said in the school's statement. “Auburn is a great institution with one of the best athletics programs in the country. I am excited to get to work and help bring championship level success to our women’s basketball program."

Vickers has led the way for the green and gold for the last nine seasons full-time after being thrusted into the position on an interim basis in 2016.

After losing their first 19 games of the season, Marty Miller decided to moved Vickers over from the associate head coach of the men's team to take over for the final 10 games of the campaign.

The move paid off and then some. Vickers turned the program around quickly into the MEAC's standard bearer. He's guided the Spartans to a three-peat of MEAC titles, going on to make an appearance in three straight NCAA Tournaments.

"Larry embraced the challenge of rebuilding the Norfolk State women's basketball program, taking over a struggling team looking for a turnaround," said Norfolk State Director of Athletics Dr. Melody Webb said in a statement. "Over the past 10 years he has defied expectations at every step, constructing one of the greatest dynasties that any HBCU has ever seen. He elevated our women's basketball program to unprecedented heights, molding Norfolk State into the gold standard for success in the sport."

An Ocean Lakes High School graduate, Norfolk State has become Vickers home for the better part of two decades. Prior to moving to the Spartan women, he worked in the men's program since 2008 after graduating from the school a year prior. Vickers was an assistant from 2008-2013, on the bench for Norfolk State's stunning 86-84 win over Missouri in the 2012 in NCAA Tournament.

When Robert Jones was promoted to the program's head coach, Vickers moved up to become the associate head coach.

He heads to the SEC with a 177-99 record with the Spartans, recording three seasons in a row of at least 26 wins to close out his tenure in Hampton Roads.

Norfolk State has begun a national search to find its next head coach, according to the school's statement.