By: Pete Clawson, Associate Athletics Director
Jimmye Laycock was the architect of what is easily the most extended run of success in W&M's long football history. In his 39 years at the helm of the program, Laycock never compromised academic standards for athletic success, as he concluded his legendary career with 249 wins – an impressive figure that ranks tied for 24th in the history of college football with Lou Holtz, another W&M Athletics Hall of Famer.
Complete bios for each inductee can be found by clicking the links below.
John Daly, Head Coach, Women's Soccer (1987 - 2017)
Cliff Gauthier, Head Coach, Men's Gymnastics (1974 – 2016)
Jonathan Grimes'11, Football
Mary Pat Kurtz '86, Field Hockey/Lacrosse
Christo Landry '08, Men's XC / T&F
Katie Radloff '10, Swimming
Dr. Alex Sleeker '97, Men's Golf
Katarina Zoricic '09, Women's Tennis
2009 Men's Cross Country Team
Laycock will be inducted alongside fellow Tribe coaching icons, John Daly and Cliff Gauthier in a ceremony that will be held in the spring of 2025. Details of the event will be forthcoming.
When Laycock, a 1970 grad, returned to coach his Alma mater before the 1980 season, he inherited a program that had won six or more games in a season just four times in the previous 25 years. Few could have predicted that W&M would produce nearly five times that number of seven-win seasons over the next 39 seasons.
The accumulated successes, both on and off the field, led to an era of unprecedented interest and support for his program. In addition to the consistent growth in attendance, evidence of this is illustrated by the flurry of improvements that started in 2005, with the installation of lights, the completion of the $11 million Laycock Football Center before the 2008 season and culminating with the $28 Zable Stadium renovation project that was completed during the summer of 2016.
His program earned recognition from the NCAA in each of the first seven seasons the organization awarded academic achievement (2004 – 2010).
The following is a quick look at some of his achievements:
• 249 Career Wins (Ranks 24th in the history of college football with Lou Holtz)
• 10 NCAA Playoff Appearances, including two NCAA Semifinal Appearances
• 5 Conference Championships
• 24 Winning Seasons, 13 seasons in which W&M has finished the year nationally ranked
• No. 1 National Ranking achieved by W&M in 2010
• 125 All-America honors earned by 45 of his players
• 11 Academic All-Americans
• 262 All-Conference selections since 1993
• 40 players signed NFL contracts
• 6 NFL Draft picks from 2009-19 ranked second in the FCS and third in the state of Virginia (behind only VT and UVA) for that time span
• 2 Former players who are currently NFL Head Coaches (Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers; Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills)
• 1 Walter Payton Award winner (FCS National Offensive Player of the Year)
Honors
• Named to the Virginia State Athletics Hall of Fame (class of 2023)
• TD Club of Richmond's Lifetime Achievement Awardee (2018)
• Norfolk Sports Club Lifetime Achievement Award (2017)
• Three-time VaSID Virginia Coach of the Year (1990, 2009, 2013)
• TD Club of Richmond Coach of the Year (2001, 2009, 2013)
• Region II Coach of the Year (1990)
• AFCA FCS Region 1 Coach of the Year (2010)
