BU names Al Walker
as head men’s basketball coach
Former Ivy
League coach has history of building collegiate programs
Former Ivy League coach has history of building collegiate programs
Binghamton University has picked its man to lead the men’s basketball program into the Division I ranks. Al Walker, a 12-year collegiate coach who has ties to New York, was introduced at a press conference on campus Thursday afternoon. A unanimous selection among the University’s advisory committee, Walker becomes the 10th coach in Binghamton’s 55 years of basketball — and the first with Division I coaching experience. He takes over a BU program that went 14-12 this season — the program’s middle year of three at Division II before elevating to NCAA Division I status in 2001-02.
“Al Walker has the breadth of experience we were looking for,” said Joel Thirer, director of physical education, recreation and athletics. “He has coached at the Division I level, and has recruited and taught student-athletes that fit our University’s elite academic profile. Al is well respected across the country, and we are confident he will build our program the same way he has done in the past.”
Walker comes directly from Chaminade University, where he served as head basketball coach and athletic director for the past four years. Since 1996, he has also coordinated the nationally-televised Maui Invitational — one of the nation’s premier college basketball tournaments. Walker’s Division II Silverswords have played Syracuse, Duke, Wake Forest and Purdue in recent years as the lone Division II team in the field.
Prior to his stint at Chaminade, Walker was the head coach at Cornell University, steering the Division I Big Red for three seasons (1993-96). His teams faced Syracuse, Maryland, Michigan State, Stanford and Notre Dame among others. Under Walker’s watch, Cornell rose from eighth place to fifth in the Ivy League, and his 1994 recruiting class was ranked among the “Top 50” in the country.
Walker graduated magna cum laude from SUNY Brockport in 1981, and earned his master’s degree from University of North Carolina in 1984. At Brockport, he ranks fifth all-time in career rebounds (706) and 20th in scoring (856) despite playing just three seasons. After graduation, he helped the United States capture a gold medal at the Maccabiah Games, and then played two years of professional ball in Israel.
He began his head coaching career at Division III Colorado College in 1988, steering that program to its first NCAA tournament appearance. In five years, Walker maintained the highest win percentage in the program’s 49-year history.
A native of Queens, Walker is married and has two daughters, Jordyn (9) and Shannan (7).
