Hall of Fame
Position: Coach
Years: Northwestern College [IA] (1967-94)
Place of Birth: Orange City, Iowa
Date of Birth: Feb. 27, 1936
Career Record: 212-77-6 (72.9%)
Larry "Bub" Korver transformed a young and struggling Northwestern College (IA) program into a national powerhouse during his 28-year tenure, leading the Red Raiders to two NAIA National Championships and multiple-postseason runs. The Orange City, Iowa, product now becomes the first-ever player or coach in the history of the Red Raiders program to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
Taking over a program that had managed just 18 wins in the school's first seven seasons as a four-year college, Korver quickly changed the culture at Northwestern, winning a remarkable 72.9 percent of his games with a career record of 212-77-6.
Under his guidance, the Red Raiders captured NAIA National Championships in 1973 and 1983, while also finishing as national runner-up three times in 1972, 1979, and 1984. His teams made 11 national playoff appearances, establishing Northwestern as a perennial contender. Twice named NAIA National Coach of the Year, Korver's success put him among the most distinguished figures in NAIA coaching circles.
When he retired in 1994, his 212 career victories ranked him second among all active NAIA coaches, and his 72.9 winning percentage was fifth-best. Korver guided Northwestern College to a Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference title in his final season in 1994.
The school's all-time winningest coach, Korver's teams won at least eight games in 13 different seasons and suffered only three losing campaigns during his tenure. In recognition of his contributions, Northwestern renamed its football field in his honor.
Korver produced 32 NAIA All-Americans and he was inducted into both the Northwestern College Athletic Hall of Fame and the NAIA Hall of Fame.
After graduating from Northwestern when it was still a junior college in 1954, Korver went on to earn his bachelor's degree from South Dakota State University. He was a standout athlete for the Jackrabbits, earning First Team All-Conference honors in football in 1954 and was named team MVP in both football and basketball that same year. Before arriving back at Northwestern as the head coach, he was a high school coach in Iowa and Minnesota.
Following his retirement from coaching, Korver remained active in his community and pursued a career in the special products industry at Med-Tec.
