Duquesne University Athletics

Larry McCoy, who graduated as the all-time leading rusher in Duquesne history, returned to The Bluff as the Dukes' running back coach in the summer of 2019 and will enter his sixth season on the sideline in 2024.

McCoy helped lead the Dukes to an outright Northeast Conference championship and an NCAA FCS Playoff appearance in 2023. McCoy balanced a trio of talented running backs and coached freshman Edward Robinson to a second team all-conference selection. All three DU running backs (Robinson - 662, Taj Butts - 559, and JaMario Clements - 459) ranked in the top-11 of the NEC in rushing yards and Robinson charted the second-most rushing touchdowns in the NEC with eight. Robinson was a three-time NEC Rookie of the Week selection, while Taj Butts also earned an Offensive Player of the Week nod in Week Seven. The Dukes had three games with 200+ rushing yards and surpassed 100 as a rushing attack in eight of the 12 games.

In 2021, McCoy oversaw a running backs room that featured two of the top-four rushers in terms of yards per game in the NEC. Billy Lucas ranked second in the NEC with 69.9 yards per game and third with 5.10 yards per carry on his way to a All-NEC Second Team nod, while Garrett Owens slotted fourth in the league with 63.1 yards per game and fifth with 4.85 yards per carry. As a team, Duquesne led the FCS with only two fumbles lost during the entire season.

McCoy, who recorded 4,549 rushing yards from 2009-12, coached A.J. Hines in 2019 and saw his pupil surpass him as the school's all-time leading rusher with 4,629 career rushing yards. The senior also became the program's leader in rushing touchdowns (44) and and 100-yard rushing games (25). Hines and fellow running back Mark Allen both garnered All-Northeast Conference (NEC) honors, becoming the first running back duo to earn All-NEC accolades in the same season since the Dukes joined the league in 2008. Hines and Allen combined for 1,469 yards on the ground to go with 10 rushing touchdowns. 

McCoy finished his career leading all NCAA Division I players (FCS & FBS levels) in career rushing attempts (956) and carries per game (22.2). In addition, he set the school record with 24 100-yard rushing performances, eclipsing the 100-yard mark in 20 of his last 29 games. 

McCoy earned All-NEC honors in each of his final three seasons at Duquesne, including first team honors as a junior in 2011 and second team accolades as a sophomore in 2010 and senior in 2012. He helped the Dukes win their first NEC title in 2011 with a 9-2 overall record and a 7-1 mark in conference play. 

The Wytheville, Va. native is also the second-leading rusher in NEC history, posting three consecutive 100-yard seasons from 2010-12. He finished his collegiate career with 37 rushing touchdowns, good for second in school history and first among Duquesne's FCS running backs. 

Following his career with the Dukes, McCoy played professionally in Germany for the Berlin Rebels in Division 1 of the German Football League (GFL), the country's top league. 

McCoy led the GFL in rushing for several seasons, including a league-high 1,943 yards in 15 games and 25 touchdowns for the Rebels in 2016, helping Berlin improve from a 4-8 record in 2015 to 10-4-1 that season. 

Larry McCoy Career Update