Shocked. Sad. Stunned. All these words came to mind when I learned of the passing of great Northwestern coach, Randy Walker. He died of an apparent heart attack while in his home.
Randy Walker truly lit up the side line in his playing and coaching days. The 52-year old played at Miami (OH) in the mid-1970’s; his teams went an impressive 11-0, 10-0-1, and 11-1. He began coaching at North Carolina, where he was an assistant from 1978 to 1987. He continued his coaching career as the running backs coach at Northwestern from 1988 to 1989. He then took the head coaching job at Miami (OH) where his coaching career blossomed into something special.
Walker’s teams at Miami had only one losing season in his nine year tenure. His 10-1 season in 1998, however, propelled him to be recognized by big time programs as a head coaching prospect. He still has many good friends at Miami, including athletic director Brad Bates who commented, “Miami's athletic family is saddened by the passing of Randy Walker. Our thoughts are with Coach Walker's family and his family at Northwestern University. He was a prominent figure on the college football landscape, and his legacy lives on in the fine men he mentored and shaped during his life-long commitment as a college coach. More than being a great coach, he was a great person.” His coaching abilities catapulted at Northwestern as fan started wearing purple in Chicago and surrounding areas.
He turned a school’s football program that “was only supposed to have the brains” into a serious Big Ten contender. In 2000, the Troy, Ohio, native led the ‘Cats to a share of the Big Ten title, which was the first for the program since 1996. His innovations of the spread offense put Northwestern in bowl games three times out of the five years he was coaching. He then received numerous compliments from around the country. He was named Big Ten’s best head coach in the Sporting News 2006 football magazine. Athlon Sports named him the conference’s most underrated coach.
Former coaching partner and friend, Terry Hoeppner said, “I am in absolute shock. I lost a friend and someone I learned a lot from in our time together at Miami. He is a great man, a great family man and a great person. Words cannot express how much I will miss him. Jane and my prayers go out to his wife, Tammy, and his two children, Abbey and Jamie.”
Bill Martin, athletic director at Michigan, commented, “Everyone within the Michigan Athletic Department is praying for Randy Walker's family and friends. We are all terribly saddened by his loss. He was a wonderful person and a great coach.” Former Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler said, “I was so shocked when I heard the news. Randy was a great coach and a wonderful guy. He was so young and it's very sad and sobering. Randy was doing a wonderful job at Northwestern and was doing great things with his team. This has to be devastating for his family and Northwestern University. I took great pride in Randy's remark, early-on in his career, that he was patterning his coaching philosophy to resemble mine. Obviously, over the years, that has changed, but I am proud to have known Randy and to have had some impact on his coaching philosophy. His death is a big loss to the coaching profession.”
Condolences from all over the nation poured onto the Northwestern athletic fan boards. Fans from USC, Texas, Oregon State, and many other teams across the country were represented in sharing sympathies with the Northwestern family. Every Big Ten team was also represented numerous times. A memorial service will be held for Randy Walker on Thursday, July 6 at First Presbyterian Church in Evanston, Illinois. It will take place at 10:00 AM CT at 1427 Chicago Ave. Information on the Randy Walker fund is available at http://nusports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/063006abc.html .
Randy Walker will be missed, but his legacy lives in our hearts and souls for ever. God Bless the Walker and Northwestern families.