Larry Krystkowiak
A hard-nosed power forward from Montana who translated his gritty playing style into a decades-long coaching career in college basketball.
Born 1964 (age 62)·American basketball player and coach·Birthday: September 23·Baby Boomers
Biography
Larry Krystkowiak's path was carved on the courts of the American West, where his physical, relentless play at the University of Montana foreshadowed his professional approach. Drafted into the NBA, he bounced between teams as a valued role player, a blue-collar worker in a league of stars. This grounded perspective became the foundation of his coaching philosophy. After cutting his teeth in the CBA and as an NBA assistant, he found his calling in the college game, most notably during a nine-year stint rebuilding the Utah Utes. Known for demanding defensive discipline and toughness, Krystkowiak's teams mirrored his own persona: straightforward, resilient, and built to outwork the competition.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Larry was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Larry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Larry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- He was a two-time Big Sky Conference Player of the Year at the University of Montana.
- Played six seasons in the NBA for five different teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls.
- Served as head coach of the University of Utah men's basketball team from 2011 to 2021.
- Led the Utah Utes to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet Sixteen in 2015.
Did You Know?
His nickname is 'Krysko', a common shortening of his difficult-to-pronounce surname.
He was inducted into the Montana Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame in 1977.
After his NBA playing career, he coached the Idaho Stampede in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA).
He briefly served as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2005-06 season.
“You show up, you work, you do the dirty jobs—that's how you last.”
