The University of Illinois Springfield Director of Athletics Kim Pate announces Bill Walker as the next head coach of the Prairie Star men’s basketball program on Thursday
"I am very excited to announce the appointment of Bill Walker as the next head men’s basketball coach," Pate said. "Coach Walker brings a winning mentality, tremendous experience, and has worked under some of the best coaches in the industry and understands what it takes to build a top contending program."
Walker becomes the third coach in UIS history and brings more than 25 years of collegiate coaching experience from the Big Ten, Big 12, Missouri Valley, MIAA, & GLVC conferences. Walker joins the Prairie Stars after spending the past year as an assistant coach at Division I Drake. Walker also brings his own student-athlete experience to UIS as he was an all-conference selection at Missouri-Rolla, now Missouri S&T, under Billy Key. Walker begins his duties immediately.
"Having played and coached in the GLVC, Coach Walker understands how tough the league is from top to bottom," said Pate. "I fully believe in his vision and plan to take our program to the next level. I look forward to seeing the program develop under Coach Walker’s leadership."
The veteran coach has coached and developed more than 50 student-athletes who went on to play professionally and was responsible for recruiting DeAndre Jordan, Kris Humphries and Khris Middleton who are on active NBA rosters this season.
"I’m excited and very humbled to start a new era at UIS," said Walker. "I’ve been so fortunate to work for some terrific basketball minds and now I am ready to implement their ideas into my own system at UIS. I know the administration, fans and most importantly, our players are hungry for success. We will start moving in that direction from day one. It will be exciting."
Prior to Drake, Walker served as a scout for the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets, now Pelicans. Walker also spent time on Mark Turgeon’s staff at Texas A&M from 2007-11. During his four years at Texas A&M he oversaw the development of three future NBA players in Jordan, Middleton and Donald Sloan as the Aggies went 97-40 and made four straight NCAA appearances.
Before moving south, Walker was an assistant at the University of Minnesota for seven seasons and helped the Golden Gophers to five winning seasons, one NCAA Tournament berth and four appearances in the NIT. Walker was responsible for recruiting Big Ten Freshman of the Year Kris Humphries, who was a first-round lottery pick by the Utah Jazz in 2005. He also recruited 2005 All-Big Ten first team performer Vincent Grier and the 2001 recruiting class that was ranked among the top 10 in the nation by many publications and included 2002 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Rick Rickert.
No stranger to Division II, Walker came to the Golden Gophers after three seasons as the top assistant coach at Central Missouri from 1996-99, the team that won the Division II national championship this season. He helped the Mules post a 49-35 record, including a 21-7 mark in his first season that led to an NCAA tournament berth. Walker was responsible for recruiting Antonio Rivers, a Division II All-American who had a long professional career.
Prior to his stint at Central Missouri, Walker was an assistant at GLVC foe Missouri-St. Louis for seven years. His recruiting efforts led to five straight seasons with at least one student-athlete earning all-conference freshman team honors, including two who were named MIAA Freshman of the Year.
Walker began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant under Hall of Fame Coach Gene Bartow at Alabama-Birmingham in 1987-89 and helped the Blazers to a third-place finish in the 1989 NIT.
A native of Warrensburg, Mo., Walker was a standout player at Warrensburg High School. In his three years with the Tigers, he helped them to a 73-6 record, earning first-team all-state honors as a senior. He played one season at State Fair Community College before transferring to Missouri-Rolla where he played for three seasons.
Walker earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Missouri-Rolla and a master’s degree in education from UAB.
He hails from a family with a rich pedigree in college athletics as his father, Floyd, was the athletic director at Central Missouri and is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Director of Athletics Hall of Fame. His sister, Barbara, is the associate athletic director and senior woman administrator at Wake Forest.
Walker and his wife, Karen, have two children – Vincent and Claire.
What they are saying about Walker
"Bill is a close friend who I respect as one of the best evaluators in the business. He has the perfect background for UIS. He has a vast network of friends that will help him achieve new heights. I am a UIS fan!"
– Mark Few, Gonzaga Head Coach
"Bill Walker is ready for this challenge. He did a great job as my assistant at the University of Minnesota, and I know he will do the same at UIS. They hired a great coach and an even better person!"
– Dan Monson, Long Beach State Head Coach, former University of Minnesota Head Coach
"Bill Walker comes to UIS and to his first college head coaching opportunity fully prepared to run a successful basketball program. Coach Walker is a man of great integrity and has an extremely strong work ethic. He’s been involved in college athletics his entire life – his father was a long-time coach and athletics administrator – and his experience over the past 20 years has included coaching stints in the Big Ten, Big 12 and Missouri Valley conferences. He brings strong recruiting connections and a personal history of winning at every level to Springfield, and he’ll be a tremendous ambassador for his Prairie Stars basketball program and the University."
– Doug Elgin, Missouri Valley Conference Commissioner
"Bill Walker has had success at every level of college basketball. That experience will help him make the University of Illinois Springfield a program that you can be proud of on and off the basketball floor!"
– Ray Giacoletti, Drake Head Coach
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