Appalachian Figures
Leland Eugene “Hammer” Byrd began life in the coal camp of Lynch, Kentucky, and grew up in Matoaka, West Virginia. He reached Morgantown in 1944 as a left-handed forward, became one of West Virginia University’s earliest hardwood stars, and later helped steer college athletics through a transformative era as an athletic director and conference leader. He died in Morgantown on January 19, 2022, at age 94.
A mountain kid who could score
WVU never lost at home while Byrd wore the Old Gold and Blue, going 57-0 in Morgantown during his four varsity seasons. He finished with exactly 1,000 points, reaching the mark in his final college game against Pitt on March 6, 1948. Those teams under coaches John Brickels and Lee Patton also made three NIT trips when that tournament rivaled the NCAA in stature.
In 1947 the Helms Athletic Foundation named Byrd first-team All-America, a national honor confirmed in Helms’ historical ledgers and contemporary newspapers.
The pro game noticed. The New York Knicks selected Byrd in the 1948 BAA Draft, although he soon entered the U.S. Army and did not play in the league.
Coach and builder in small-college West Virginia
Byrd started on the sidelines at Hinton High, then spent a decade at Glenville State as head men’s basketball coach and, beginning in 1962, athletic director. His Pioneers teams were respected in the rugged WVIAC, and the stint launched a long administrative career.
He moved to Miami Dade Junior College in 1966, first as assistant athletic director at the North Campus, then as athletic director at the South Campus in 1969.
The WVU years, women’s sports, and a new stadium
WVU hired Byrd as director of athletics in 1972. Within weeks he met with faculty leaders of women’s physical education who pressed the case for varsity women’s sports in the new Title IX era. Byrd helped get women’s basketball, tennis, and gymnastics on the varsity line in 1973–74, a milestone WVU continues to commemorate.
As AD he also pushed the stadium question that had loomed over the program since the mid-1970s. Byrd was deeply involved in planning, design, and financing for the facility that opened in 1980, soon after he left Morgantown for conference work.
Eastern Eight to Atlantic 10
In 1979 Byrd became the first executive of the Eastern Eight, establishing the conference office in Pittsburgh, guiding expansion, and presiding as the league rebranded to the Atlantic 10 in 1982. The A-10’s official anniversary history recognizes Byrd’s foundational role.
Western Michigan and a long legacy
Byrd finished his administrative run as athletic director at Western Michigan University from 1984 through 1992, then retired from campus life. Later honors included induction into WVU’s Sports Hall of Fame and creation of the Leland Byrd Leadership Award for Mountaineer basketball.
Primary images and archival footprints
WVU’s archives hold multiple contemporary images of Byrd, including an individual portrait from his playing days and the well-known Monticola yearbook photo that often accompanies his biographies. Researchers can browse the digitized Monticola volumes and a finding aid of athletics clippings that cover his tenure as AD.
Sources & Further Reading
“All-American cagers picked,” Press & Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, NY), April 25, 1947. Contemporary Helms All-America list naming Byrd. Accessible via Newspapers.com citation trail. Wikipedia
“Byrd accepts Dade position,” Pensacola News Journal, May 20, 1966. Contemporary Miami-Dade appointment report, Newspapers.com citation trail. Wikipedia
“Eastern Eight clips Byrd’s wings,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 22, 1979. Contemporary coverage of his league role, Newspapers.com citation trail. Wikipedia
Helms Athletic Foundation collections, LA84 Digital Library. Primary repository for All-America selections. digital.la84.org
WVU History OnView photos: “WVU Basketball Players Clyde Green, Captain Leland Byrd, Fred Schaus, and Bill Zickel,” ca. 1947–48, ID 017880; “WVU Basketball Player Leland Byrd.” wvhistoryonview.org+1
Monticola Yearbook collection record, WVU Libraries. Digitized volumes and access information. ead.lib.virginia.edu
WVU & Regional History Center finding aid: West Virginia University, Athletics, News Clippings, 1916–1980 (A&M 5142). wvhistoryonview.org
“Former WVU Director of Athletics Leland Byrd Passes Away.” West Virginia University Athletics, Jan 20, 2022. University obituary and career timeline. West Virginia University Athletics
“Hoop All-American, Former AD Byrd’s Great Mountaineer Legacy Recalled.” WVU Athletics feature, Jan 20, 2022. West Virginia University Athletics
Atlantic 10 Conference, “50 Years of the Atlantic 10,” timeline feature noting Byrd as first commissioner. atlantic10.com
Western Michigan University Athletics, “Dr. Leland Byrd, former WMU AD, passes away at age 94,” Jan 20, 2022. Western Michigan University Athletics
WVU Today, “Scholarship established in honor of former WVU Athletic Director Leland Byrd,” Apr 27, 2017. Includes Miami-Dade and WVU notes. wvutoday.wvu.edu
Sports-Reference and Basketball-Reference: player page and 1948 BAA Draft ledger. Sports Reference+1
“The Construction of Mountaineer Field … The Rest of the Story.” WVU Athletics history blog, Jul 17, 2020. West Virginia University Athletics
WVU Athletics, “Celebrating 50 Years of Title IX at West Virginia University,” and “Celebrating 50 Years of Women’s Gymnastics at WVU,” 2022 and 2024 features. West Virginia University Athletics+1