Larry McKenzie

A coach, educator, author and speaker, Larry McKenzie, the only coach to win four straight state titles in the 100-year history of the Minnesota State Boys Basketball tournament

Larry A. McKenzie is currently going into his fourth season, as the Head coach of Academy of Holy Angels, was formerly General Manager and Head Coach of the Minnesota Ripknees of the American Basketball Association (ABA). In their first season, the Ripknees clinched the title of Division Champions with a winning record of 24-8.

Prior to joining the Minnesota Ripknees, Larry A. McKenzie served as Head Coach for Minneapolis Patrick Henry Boy's Basketball team for nine seasons.

In nine seasons, Coach McKenzie and his staff developed the Patriots into one of the nation's top high school programs.

Under his leadership the Patriots won four consecutive Class AAA State, five Region 5 AAA titles, three Twin Cities titles and six consecutive Minneapolis City Conference titles, finishing with an overall record of 202-34.

Prior to the arrival of Coach McKenzie and his staff, the Patriots had not won a State title in 55 years. Under McKenzie's direction, the Patriots established themselves as a team dedicated to hard work, tenacious defense, and a high-octane offense.

McKenzie's mission was to develop a championship program while also using basketball as a tool to empower young men to be champions in their classrooms, families, and communities.

By developing a highly structured program and a group of dedicated young coaches, the team showed tremendous improvement in the classroom, increasing the team GPA from 1.6 to a 3.1. In just two years 95% of the players had made the A or B honor roll.

Under Coach McKenzie's leadership, all of the Patriot's seniors were enrolled in an institution of higher learning with the majority playing college basketball.

Just a few of Coach McKenzie's many accolades include being named Section and Region Coach of the year three consecutive years: 1999,2000, and 2001. In 2001 he was also named Class AAA Coach of the Year, and selected by the NFHSC as Minnesota Basketball Coach of the Year.

A native of Miami, McKenzie currently resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the fat