Northwestern Football Coach Dead at 52

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Jun 30, 2006 2:44PM

Randy Walker, Northwestern's football coach, died last night of an apparent heart attack. He was just 52. He is survived by his wife Tammy, daughter Abbey, and son Jamie.

Walker came to Northwestern in 1999, compiling a 37-46 record during his tenure -- making him the second winningest coach in Wildcats history. The 'Cats won a share of the 2000 Big Ten title and played in the Alamo Bowl. They played in the 2003 Motor City Bowl and the 2005 Sun Bowl, as well, under Walker. As a reward for his turning the former Big Ten patsy into a respectable football program, Walker had recently been awarded a contract extension through 2011. Walker proved that a school can field a winning team while also holding its players to the high academic standards of Northwestern, turning his players into true scholar-athletes. He clearly had the Northwestern football program moving in the right direction, so it will be tough to fill his shoes. Can the school recruit a coach who will be able to build upon the groundwork set up by Walker? Or will Northwestern once again be relegated to the bottom of the Big Ten standings, year after year?