Vanguard University is pleased to announce the hiring of Noel Larkins as Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach following the departure of Taylor Kelly to Corban University. Following a familiar pattern, head coach Rhett Soliday has appointed his third assistant coach for the Lions, all of which were former players during his tenure on the sidelines.
“Noel Larkins is an absolute winner and an amazing man of God; Every step of his journey as a player for Vanguard was marked by character, toughness, selflessness, preparation, and incredible work ethic,” Soliday stated. “Those same qualities and a servant-warrior mentality are present as I have watched Noel’s ascension in his coaching career. His impact will be felt in every area of our program including recruiting, scouting, player development, campus relations, academics, and spiritual guidance and mentorship.”
Larkins, who played for the Blue and Gold from 2011-2014 after playing one season at Irvine Valley College for head coach Jerry Hernandez. The three year member of the Pride was a key contributor to the historic run the men’s basketball team had on its way to winning the 2013-14 NAIA Division I National Championship in addition to setting a new school record for wins and claiming the GSAC crown.
“Being a student-athlete at Vanguard was one of the greatest blessings of my life, and I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to come back home to VU,” a humbled Larkins reported. “Coach Soliday showed me what true leadership looks like when I was playing for him and I can’t wait to get to work with him and the rest of our staff as we strive to lead our guys well!”
During his career with the Pride, he appeared in 80 games, scored 319 total points, grabbed 119 total rebounds, handed out 95 assists, and recorded 71 steals. Larkins finished seventh all-time in free-throw percentage at 84.2% and graduated in May 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.
Following his graduation from Vanguard, he stepped straight into coaching at Cypress Community College for two seasons before moving up to California State University Dominguez Hills for a year. Larkins then linked up with his former assistant coach at Vanguard, Brian “Boomer” Roberts, becoming his assistant at Trinity International for one season and moving along with him to Purdue University Northwest the past two years. He expects to complete his Master of Science in Higher Education and Administration at Purdue University in July 2020.
Soliday went on to say, “Noel is a future head coach in the making. He has all the qualities present that are necessary for our program to take the next step. Losing a foundational program builder like Taylor Kelly is always hard, but the remainder of our staff, including another future star in Coach Kooima, will have a great opportunity to step into a major role. This will allow Noel to have a smooth transition back into the program, and I believe we will be seamless as we prepare for a great season. We have a great coaching staff!”
Larkins is poised to step into the head assistant role with over six years of experience as the recruiting coordinator for collegiate teams, assisting with practice plans, scouting, game strategy, and individual skill work. Off the floor, he will lead oversight of student-athletes academically as well as day-to-day operations including travel scheduling.
