 |
Raytown
Schools Alumni Hall of Fame |
Class
of 2006 |
Bud
Lathrop
Class of 1954 Raytown High School
As
a 1954 graduate of Raytown High School, Warren “Bud” Lathrop
played sports under the watchful eyes of the legendary teacher
and coach, Ted Chittwood. Often recalling the impact that Coach Chittwood
had on his life, Bud Lathrop went on to become a legendary coach himself.
Lathrop was a Hall of Fame basketball player during his time at William Jewell. After three years of coaching in Mound City and Fulton, Mo, Lathrop returned to the Raytown community to be the first and only head basketball coach at Raytown South High School for 45 years.
During his career Lathrop became the seventh winningest coach in high
school basketball history, and the third winningest active coach with
956
wins. He lead his teams to 35 conference championships, 23 district
championships, ten state finals, and four state championships.
For fourteen years,
his teams went undefeated in conference play. Lathrop’s career
has garnered him several honors, including induction into the Missouri
Sports Hall of Fame, recipient of the
Eddie Ryan
Coach of the Year Award five times over, and the Paul Lambert Coach
of the Year Award twice.
Lathrop considers his greatest achievements not to be the number of games that his teams have won, but the number of young men and women who he has been able to influence during his career. This alone makes Lathrop a fitting member of Raytown Schools Alumni Hall of Fame.