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Journal-News.com

Miami community mourns loss

Randy Walker's sudden death Thursday night traumatized the Miami University community.

Before his hiring as head football coach at Northwestern University in 1999, Mr. Walker compiled a 59-35-5 record during nine seasons at Miami. He left as the winningest coach in school history.

"More than being a great coach, he was a great person," MU Athletic Director Brad Bates said. "His legacy lives on in the fine men he mentored and shaped during his lifelong commitment as a college coach."

Mr. Walker died, apparently of a heart attack, after feeling chest pains around 10 p.m. at his suburban Chicago home. He was 52.

"His impact on Miami and its football program as both a player and a coach was profound and paved the way for where we are today," MU coach Shane Montgomery said. "He will be sorely missed."

Mr. Walker was a tailback at Miami University from 1973-75, a three-season period during which the school went 32-1-1 and won three Mid-American Conference championships and a like number of Tangerine Bowls.

He finished his career with 1,757 rushing yards and was named team MVP and second-team all-MAC as a senior.

"He was a tremendous success story," said Mike Watson, a former teammate and now associate athletic director at Miami. "He was a lunch-pail kind of person in that he came to work every day and gave everything he had.

"There's a phrase we use here in the football program — Miami men. It means never forgetting about each other, always remembering where you came from. That was Randy."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2408 or smcclelland@DaytonDailyNews.com.