The University of Mississippi Athletics
Honoring Former Ole Miss Track Coach Joe Walker
3/23/2017 | Athletics, Blog
Four Olympians and a number of other elite college and professional athletes will be competing on the Ole Miss campus at this weekend's Joe Walker Invitational track & field meet.
How fitting that it's named for the former Rebel coach who mentored a number of athletes to Olympic status during his 30-year career in Oxford.
Walker, who serves as an assistant coach for jumpers at Louisville since his retirement from Ole Miss, is universally known for his warm and caring personality in addition to his penchant for training world-class jumpers and hurdlers.
Having developed such talents as Olympic gold medalist and NCAA champion Brittney Reese, Olympian and NCAA champion Savante' Stringfellow, Olympian Ricky Robertson, NCAA champion Antwon Hicks and many others, Walker is world-renowned for his coaching abilities. The Mississippi native also maintains a humble attitude about it all.
"The coaching staff at Ole Miss reached out to me about the name for this meet," Walker said. "I just felt real humbled and honored that they would think to do that."
In 30 seasons at the helm of the Ole Miss program, Walker led the Rebels to 11 top-20 national finishes, 124 All-America honors, 12 NCAA individual champions and 60 SEC individual titles. But it wasn't always easy.
"When I started at Ole Miss we didn't have a track of any sort," Walker recalls. "Then we had a decent one but not great. Then we went two-and-a-half years with no track again while they built the indoor practice facility."
The current Ole Miss Track & Field Complex was completed in 2003 and hosted the 2004 Southeastern Conference Championships. Walker has fond memories of the time he spent at the facility.
"I always felt like the layout and closeness of everything was good. The coaches' offices are right there, all in one place. Across the street is the training room and weight room. The layout is conducive to watching and coaching. Once we got that I thought I was in paradise.
"Folks that have come to that track have seen some world-class athletes, that's for sure."
Though he no longer coaches at Ole Miss, the 2016 M-Club Alumni Hall of Fame honoree finds plenty of time to follow the program and its success under second-year head coach Connie Price-Smith and her staff.
"I'm so excited," Walker said. "They are doing a phenomenal job. They're got Ole Miss just rocking and rolling. I'm so proud for them and Ole Miss. I'm glad to have been a part of it, and now I'm an active fan."
In the five years since he's been at Louisville, Walker has enjoyed the time he gets to spend with his children and grandchildren, as well as continuing to coach collegiate jumpers.
"Basically all my family's up in this area. My youngest son is in Dayton, Ohio, and the other two sons are right here in Louisville. The grandkids are growing up so fast, I can't believe it. It's been a good situation for us, really positive."
How fitting that it's named for the former Rebel coach who mentored a number of athletes to Olympic status during his 30-year career in Oxford.
Walker, who serves as an assistant coach for jumpers at Louisville since his retirement from Ole Miss, is universally known for his warm and caring personality in addition to his penchant for training world-class jumpers and hurdlers.
Having developed such talents as Olympic gold medalist and NCAA champion Brittney Reese, Olympian and NCAA champion Savante' Stringfellow, Olympian Ricky Robertson, NCAA champion Antwon Hicks and many others, Walker is world-renowned for his coaching abilities. The Mississippi native also maintains a humble attitude about it all.
"The coaching staff at Ole Miss reached out to me about the name for this meet," Walker said. "I just felt real humbled and honored that they would think to do that."
In 30 seasons at the helm of the Ole Miss program, Walker led the Rebels to 11 top-20 national finishes, 124 All-America honors, 12 NCAA individual champions and 60 SEC individual titles. But it wasn't always easy.
"When I started at Ole Miss we didn't have a track of any sort," Walker recalls. "Then we had a decent one but not great. Then we went two-and-a-half years with no track again while they built the indoor practice facility."
The current Ole Miss Track & Field Complex was completed in 2003 and hosted the 2004 Southeastern Conference Championships. Walker has fond memories of the time he spent at the facility.
"I always felt like the layout and closeness of everything was good. The coaches' offices are right there, all in one place. Across the street is the training room and weight room. The layout is conducive to watching and coaching. Once we got that I thought I was in paradise.
"Folks that have come to that track have seen some world-class athletes, that's for sure."
Though he no longer coaches at Ole Miss, the 2016 M-Club Alumni Hall of Fame honoree finds plenty of time to follow the program and its success under second-year head coach Connie Price-Smith and her staff.
"I'm so excited," Walker said. "They are doing a phenomenal job. They're got Ole Miss just rocking and rolling. I'm so proud for them and Ole Miss. I'm glad to have been a part of it, and now I'm an active fan."
In the five years since he's been at Louisville, Walker has enjoyed the time he gets to spend with his children and grandchildren, as well as continuing to coach collegiate jumpers.
"Basically all my family's up in this area. My youngest son is in Dayton, Ohio, and the other two sons are right here in Louisville. The grandkids are growing up so fast, I can't believe it. It's been a good situation for us, really positive."
Tuesday, June 09
Tuesday, June 09
Tuesday, June 09
Tuesday, June 09