Larry Sellers (b. Mar 12, 1936) devoted 31 years of his life to Portland State University Athletics.

Serving as Sports Information Director, Larry told the story of Viking teams and athletes in so many ways. He was a friendly and reliable connection for media members, served as a Viks radio announcer himself and took on many other tasks in PSU’s small athletic office.

Larry Sellers grew up in Banks with a natural love of sports. He played baseball, basketball, football, and golf, graduating in 1954. He also had an interest in working in the media, winning a writing scholarship from Pacific university.

After two years playing baseball and basketball at Pacific, Larry transferred to the University of Oregon to study radio and TV in depth.

In 1958 Larry jumped into radio, first in Astoria, later in Portland. He added a master’s degree in radio/TV from Michigan State in 1962 and continued be a jack-of-all-trades on the radio, sometimes calling greyhound races.

Sellars joined Portland State full-time in 1968 where he was already helping out as PA announcer. Larry joined Roy Love’s athletic office of two and a half people.

The Viking’s athletic program was small, but mighty. Larry Sellers got to share a lot of great stories from his tiny office with no windows.

PSU produced national champions in volleyball and wrestling. Sellers got the word out about some great names; a prolific hoopster named Freeman Williams; a record-setting NFL-bound quarterback Neil Lomax. Great coaches like Don Read, Mouse Davis, Pokey Allen, Tim Walsh, and Teri Mariani knew they could trust him.

Larry was also the guy who told us about some of the most original promotions in college sports history, the series of ticket commercials with coach Pokey Allen involving an elephant, a raging fire, and a meteor.

Larry Sellers is very proud of his association with Bill Schonely.  Sellers was also a member of the Trail Blazer stat crew working courtside for the duration of the Schonz’s radio career, going back to that first exhibition game in Longview, WA.

In retirement, the anointed “Mayor of Banks” enjoys time on the farm with wife Janice and visits from three daughters and five grandchildren.

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