Utah head men’s basketball coach Craig Smith continues to build his staff as he reunites with Curran Walsh, who will join the Runnin’ Utes basketball program as the director of basketball operations.
“We are thrilled to announce that Curran will be joining the Runnin’ Utes basketball family,” said Smith. “Curran is an elite communicator and a relationship builder. He is highly organized and very intelligent. He is first-class in everything he approaches. He has a bright future ahead in college basketball.”
Walsh spent the last two seasons at Utah State as the director of player development. The Aggies earned back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths and 46 wins during his time in Logan, including a Mountain West Tournament Championship his first year in Cache Valley. Additionally, Walsh guided Aggies All-American Sam Merrill through his 2020 NBA Pre Draft training program before Merrill became the first Utah State player drafted to the NBA since 1986.
Prior to joining Smith’s staff, Walsh spent the 2017-19 seasons on the men’s basketball staff at Loyola Marymount. The Lions went from just 11 victories his first season in Los Angeles to 22 wins in his second year there – which was the most wins in a single-season since the 1989-90 campaign. Walsh held a variety of duties at LMU, including assisting with film work, scouting, scheduling and logistics.
Walsh came to the collegiate ranks with plenty of player development expertise having worked with Chris Johnson Hoops. While there, he helped lead the player development programs for several NBA and professional players.
During the 2016-17 season, Walsh was an assistant coach for the boy’s basketball team at St. Anthony High School, culminating in a 30-5 record and an IHSA State Championship.
A native of Effingham, Ill., Walsh played basketball at Lindenwood University-Belleville all four years before graduating with a degree in business administration in 2016. During his time with the Lynx, he earned academic all-conference honors in his final two seasons. He went on to complete his master’s degree in educational studies at LMU.
https://utahutes.com/news/2021/4/12/walsh-joins-mens-basketball-staff-as-director-of-operations.aspx
