The "Fan's Plan" segment on his coaches show shoulda been nixed by someone. Also, his interviews w/ visiting coaches on the show were sometimes uncomfortable. Tom Osborne refused to participate. Coach was a good guy, but a below average coach. RIP.
RIP Coach Jim Walden
- Thread starter BigJCy
- Start date
My favorite memory of Walden occurred when I went into Kelly’s on a Thursday before that start of the Big 8 men’s basketball tournament. There was Jim up on the stage leading the crowd in singing the ISU fight song.
Although he never took us to a bowl game, I know he gave it everything he had. RIP Coach Walden.
Although he never took us to a bowl game, I know he gave it everything he had. RIP Coach Walden.
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Too bad for ISU that Walden did not turn out for ISU like Major's did for Tennessee. Walden had a losing recored at WSU and a losing record at ISU. He was a great guy, and did his best, just not a good football coach.
Reason why Majors was successful was his assistant coaches. Walden never had people like jimmy johnson and Jackie Sherrill. Johnny’s coaching tree while at Iowa state was the greatest of any coach we have ever had.
Walden was effectively tasked from day one with rowing upriver in a cardboard boat, only the NCAA took away one oar (Criner), then the university took away the other (Lester).
Never beat Iowa, but had the game in doubt in the 4th quarter several times, which was far better than the 45-point loss average of his predecessor. And sure, for every ranked win there was an equally stupefying loss -- which was not a unique occurrence among ISU coaches before or after.
Nebraska, never ranked lower than 11th
Oklahoma, ranked every year
Colorado, ranked 6/8 years (and at the height of the McCartney era)
Kansas, who even cracked the rankings and went to a bowl game under Mason
The very beginning of the K-State upward push with Snyder
Oklahoma State with the Sanders/Gundy/Dykes trio (first 2 years)
...and of course, Iowa
If nothing else, at least it was entertaining.
Never beat Iowa, but had the game in doubt in the 4th quarter several times, which was far better than the 45-point loss average of his predecessor. And sure, for every ranked win there was an equally stupefying loss -- which was not a unique occurrence among ISU coaches before or after.
Nebraska, never ranked lower than 11th
Oklahoma, ranked every year
Colorado, ranked 6/8 years (and at the height of the McCartney era)
Kansas, who even cracked the rankings and went to a bowl game under Mason
The very beginning of the K-State upward push with Snyder
Oklahoma State with the Sanders/Gundy/Dykes trio (first 2 years)
...and of course, Iowa
If nothing else, at least it was entertaining.
My timeline might be off, and if it is I apologize, but when Walden was hired, wasn’t Fry pushing for Snyder to get the job? Just another “what if” in Cyclone history.
Once the administration started to get behind the athletic department, did we start to experience success (albeit slowly).
Once the administration started to get behind the athletic department, did we start to experience success (albeit slowly).
Yep. But honestly at the time people thought Fry was the offensive genius and didn't want to hire his waterboy as our head coach.
And by "people" I mean idiots like myself lol
