After 16 Seasons as Head Coach and almost 300 wins, Sam Walker will be moving to take another position with the Athletic Department.

So, this news was somewhat shocking when I heard it. At first, I thought that perhaps Walker had decided to go to another school, but when the press release came out that he would be The Executive Director or Alumni Engagement, it was apparent that this was something that Walker had wanted to do, but was bittersweet.

Walker was one of the few coaches during the timeframe of 2000 to the present that was not only a consistent winner, he was a consistent coach. Since 2000, we have had 4 football coaches, multiple track coaches, 4 Women’s Basketball Coaches, 3 Volleyball Coaches, and 5 Athletic Directors. He was truly a mainstay in the Commerce University Community.

Walker is a 1991 graduate of Sam Houston State and obtained his Master’s Degree from East Texas State in 1993. He led the Lions to 11 winning seasons, 2 Conference Championships, 3 NCAA Division II tournament appearances, and an Elite 8 finish in 2005.  His final record was 285-202 overall and a 119-110 record in LSC play.

A search for a new Men’s Basketball Coach has started immediately.