Larry was an all-around athlete in his hometown of Whitefish, Montana. He went on to play football, basketball, baseball, track and golf at Northern Montana College where he was elected to the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.
He taught and coached one year in Great Falls, Montana and then earned his master’s degree at the University of North Dakota before moving to Coeur d’Alene in 1972.
Larry retired as the Activities Director and Assistant Principal at Coeur d’Alene High School in 2007. His 35 year career in the Coeur d’Alene school system included 20 years in the football program, 4 of them as head coach (30-12-2) and 14 years as the head girl’s softball coach from 1979-1993 with a 362 wins—44 loss record. His softball teams won 12 straight championships from 1981-1993. He was recognized as the Idaho Coach of the Year 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994. He was named the NHSCA Region 7 Coach of the Year in 1991. Larry attributes his success in softball to the wonderful student athletes he coached and his assistants over the years. The Coeur d’Alene School District recently named the CHS softball field “The Larry Schwenke Field.”
Larry was recently inducted into the Idaho Athletic Administrators Association (IAAA) Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Idaho High School Activity Association (IHSAA) Hall of Fame in August of 2008.
One of Larry’s passions has been the development and enhancement of the athletic facilities and programs at Coeur d’Alene high school. He is especially proud of the recognition CHS has received through the IHSAA’s Schools of Excellence program.
Larry and his wife, Laurie have raised three daughters; Ann, Keri and Andrea. Together they enjoy golf, boating, traveling, spending time with their five grandchildren and of course attending CHS events.