Leading the Lynbrook Owls to 14 conference titles, five county titles, three Long Island crowns, and withholding a 25-year record of 390-131, Coach Larry Glenz made history on the lacrosse field. He is a legacy in Lynbrook and spoken about with profound admiration. As recognition for his accomplishments as a coach, Glenz was inducted into the Dr. James Tolle Nassau County High School Athletics Hall of Fame in September. Throughout his career, he made an impact on the lacrosse field, but he also touched the lives of many off the field as well. His former students, players, and colleagues say that they have become better people because of Glenz’s presence in their lives.
Glenz grew up in Freeport where he learned the basics of lacrosse and then attended SUNY Cortland where he gained the knowledge and skill to become an elite teacher and coach. He taught social studies at LHS and was the varsity boys lacrosse coach for 36 years. Even after his retirement, Glenz remained loyal to the Owls when he showed up to every lacrosse practice the year following his retirement and continues to attend practices and games. Alongside his recent induction into the Nassau County Athletics Hall of Fame, throughout his career, he has also been inducted into the National High School Coaches Hall of Fame, the Long Island-Metropolitan Lacrosse Hall of Fame, and has earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the New York State Coaches Association.
Glenz has left his mark on Lynbrook and his legacy stretches far beyond the lacrosse field. “Coach Glenz has not left anything behind just yet! He still comes down and volunteers his time as a coach with the boys’ varsity lacrosse team in the spring. However, he has made lasting memories and impressions on his players and his coaches throughout the years. Coach Glenz has taught everyone who crosses his path the true and most important meaning of athletics; it is all about the experiences we have and bonds we make with one another that really count. He consistently sends the message of the ‘brotherhood’ of Lynbrook lacrosse and the love we have for one another is far greater than any win or loss on the field,” said head boys’ varsity lacrosse coach
, William Luzzi. Glenz’s successor and current boys’ assistant varsity lacrosse coach, Bill Leighley, agreed: “Mr. Glenz’ legacy is exactly what made him a great coach. I have often said that you are supposed to meet five people or so in life who will make you a better person. Mr. Glenz is one of those people for me without a doubt. As his assistant, he certainly taught me ‘X’s and O’s’, but more importantly, he taught me to make every day and season with the team the best experience possible.”
From all his years of coaching, Glenz’s biggest takeaway was the fact that he established lifelong relationships. “Over the 50 years I have been coaching, I have friends in their sixties, fifties, and twenties. Coaching is one of the best ways to make relationships even off the field,” he said. Revealing one of his secrets, Glenz shared that the key factor in having a successful coaching career is “getting the players to believe” alongside his emphasis on the importance of team chemistry and the idea of “brotherhood.” He pushed his wisdom onto his successors and served as a role model even in his retirement. Current Lynbrook coaches model his coaching style and have achieved greatness on the lacrosse field because of it. “[Glenz] was never concerned with wins and losses. Instead, he poured all of his efforts into the relationship that he had with his players and insisted they have a great relationship with each other. The best thing about that is it ironically led to a tremendous amount of success. The chemistry and energy that was created as a result of the good relationships motivated all the players and coaches to work as hard as they could,” Leighley affirmed. As for current athletes, Glenz advised, “It’s a matter of commitment and energy that’s good for the team. Once you make the commitment and you have the energy, and you love your brothers and sisters, I think it can turn out as good as it can be.”
Glenz was extremely grateful to receive such recognition in his induction to the hall of fame. “Oh! It’s a wonderful thing. The best part is I hear from players and people that I’ve known all these years. They give me a call or a text saying something, and it’s a wonderful feeling to hear from people that just want to reach out to you and tell you ‘Congratulations’ or ‘Way to go!’ or ‘You deserve it!’ It’s the amount of people that care,” he said. His legacy will live on in Lynbrook and within those that he has touched. Glenz shaped Lynbrook lacrosse and left the district with a piece of his heart on the field.
