The Howard Payne University athletic department announces that assistant athletic trainers Gene Kirkpatrick and Larry Walls will be promoted to head athletic trainer and first assistant athletic trainer starting this summer.
With current head athletic trainer Mike Terrill advancing to be the new Director of the Athletic Training Education Program, the HPU athletic department has announced that Gene Kirkpatrick will take over as head athletic trainer in HPU athletics. Current assistant Larry Walls will take on the responsibilities of first assistant athletic trainer.
“I am pleased to have such experienced staff members in place to promote to these positions,” said Mike Jones, Howard Payne director of athletics. “Gene and Larry have done outstanding jobs for us and that will make for a smooth transition in our athletic training staff as Mike Terrill moves on to full time faculty to direct our athletic training education program.”
Gene came to Howard Payne in the fall of 2009 from Andrew College in Cuthbert, GA where he served as head athletic trainer and assistant professor of health education. Gene also served as Andrew College’s athletic director for a year before coming to Howard Payne.
Before Andrew College, Gene was the assistant athletic trainer and instructor of kinesiology at East Texas Baptist University.
After graduating from Hardin-Simmons University with a bachelor’s degree in behavior science in December of 1998, he was a graduate assistant trainer at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, AR. There he completed his master’s of education in kinesiology in May of 2000.
Gene holds is a Nationally Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Board of Certification (NATABOC) and is a Licensed Athletic Trainer (LAT) in the State of Texas. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus and active member of the Brownwood Kiwanis Club.
Larry Walls, a 34 year veteran of sports medicine at the high school and college levels, joined the Howard Payne athletic training staff in January of 2011.
Larry spent two years working in a medical facility in Amarillo from 2007-08 before taking his first job at the collegiate level for McMurry University from 2008-2010.
Larry holds is a Nationally Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Board of Certification (NATABOC) and is a Licensed Athletic Trainer (LAT) in the State of Texas.
He began his career with Hereford High School in 1973 where he served 10 years. Then beginning in 1984, he joined Abilene High School and left as the head athletic trainer after 23 years of service in 2007.
