Junior started all 22 matches for the Buckeyes this season
Student-athletes who choose to pursue their soccer careers at Ohio State University are instructed, mentored and cared for by an innovative and expert coaching staff led by North Carolina graduate and Big Ten Coach of the Year Lori Walker. Now in her 16th year on the Columbus campus, Walker and her staff have led the Buckeyes to seven NCAA tournament appearances in the last 10 years, most recently in 2011 when Ohio State advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season.
Walker surrounds Ohio State's student-athletes with creative teachers that include associate head coach Glen Tourville, who has 20 years experience as a collegiate head coach; Jason Goodson, an assistant in his first season in Columbus after four years at Washington State; and Spencer "Deuce" Bownas, who has been associated with Buckeye soccer for the past nine seasons. The staff instructs through a blend of team and character-building exercises and individual skill development that creates a perfect chemistry for winning games and reaching goals.
Ohio State's players thrive in the successes from all their work on the pitch, and they also have a tremendous respect and appreciation for their coaches. For example, when members of the team were asked to complete the sentence "Ohio State coaches..." the responses were glowing and sincere:
"...take great pride in everything they do."
"...love their jobs, Ohio State and their team."
"...are wonderful teachers and supporters."
"...are full of surprises."
"...get it...big!"
"...are sheer gems."
"...push you to your fullest and to where you need to go to get better."
"...rock my world."
Credit Walker for assembling such a terrific staff and for allowing her assistants the freedom to coach, to lead and to experiment. That's what experience as a coach will allow and Walker's experience, soccer knowledge and ability to build skills extend way beyond the impressive Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium and the lovely Ohio State campus.
Wins, Championships and NCAA's Walker has 17 years experience as a Division I head coach with two years as head coach at the University of Kansas - she was the first coach in KU history - preceding her 15 completed seasons at Ohio State. Walker has a 183-143-25 record as a head coach, including a 170-120-24 record at Ohio State. She has guided 10 teams to 10-or-more-wins seasons and has coached four teams that set single season wins records, including the 2004 Ohio State team that won a school record 19 games.
The 2001 and 2010 Big Ten Coach of the Year, Walker has also been honored as the Big Ten tournament's outstanding coach (2002). Ohio State has advanced to play in four Big Ten tournament championship games (1998, 2002-04-07) under Walker, winning the championship in 2002 and again in 2004.
Walker has guided Ohio State to the NCAA tournament seven times: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011. The 2004 team advanced to the national quarterfinals at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium with NCAA wins over Bowling Green, Detroit and Tennessee before a 1-0 loss to UCLA ended the 19-4-3 campaign. The Scarlet and Gray shattered numerous program standards that year, including most goals (62), assists (63), shutouts (13) and goals-against average of 0.67. The season included a nine-match win streak and a 13-game unbeaten run. The team was 15-1-1 at home.
In 2007, Ohio State won its first 10 games at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium to establish another program first before finishing 10-2 at home, a record that included wins over NCAA tournament teams San Diego, Pepperdine, Illinois and Indiana. The team advanced to the Big Ten tournament championship game with a win over Indiana and a penalty-kick shootout decision over Penn State. The season was highlighted by an invitation to the NCAA tournament.
In 2008, Ohio State won six consecutive matches to position it for its 13th Big Ten tournament appearance. The team qualified for the tournament with the help of a stunning, 1-0, win at Penn State that snapped the Nittany Lions' 67-game Big Ten unbeaten streak at Jeffrey Field and dating to 1995.
The Buckeyes finished second in the Big Ten Conference for their best finish ever and reached their fifth NCAA tournament in 2009 while Walker was named NSCAA Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year. Their 14-3-2 regular season record marked the best in school history. The seven wins Ohio State posted in Big Ten play were a program best and the four total losses tied for the fewest in school history. The Buckeyes gave up just 13 goals, four fewer than any other season and were 4-0-1 against ranked opponents.
In 2010, Walker led the Buckeyes to the first Big Ten championship and College Cup in program history en route to Big Ten Coach of the Year honors. The Buckeyes knocked off St. Francis (Pa.) in overtime in the first round, advanced on penalty kicks against Dayton in the second round and defeated Virginia and Georgetown to advance to the NCAA semifinals before falling to eventual national champion Notre Dame. The Scarlet and Gray finished the season with a 17-5-2 record, tallying the second-most wins in school history, and ranked fourth in the final NSCAA rankings, another program best.
Last season, Walker guided the Buckeyes to their second consecutive NCAA Sweet 16 appearance after posting a 12-9-2 record, including NCAA upsets of Tennessee and No. 15 Milwaukee. The trip to the NCAA tournament marked Ohio State's fourth appearance in the last five seasons.
Prior to taking over at Ohio State for the 1997 season, Walker spent two seasons at Kansas, where she started the program and compiled a 13-23-1 record in two seasons coaching a team of predominantly freshmen and sophomores.
MD, KU, Ohio State and ODP Walker's coaching career began at the University of Maryland in 1992 under former U.S. Women's National Team head coach April Heinrichs. In three years at Maryland, the team's goalkeepers and defense, coached by Walker, set records for save percentage, saves, fewest goals allowed and goals-against average. Active in the development of youth soccer, Walker has served as a Region II Staff Coach for the U.S. Soccer Federation Olympic Development Program since the summer of 1996. At Maryland, she served three years as a club coach in the town of Columbia, Md., as well as a head coach for the Maryland State Youth Soccer Association ODP.
In January of 2006, Walker was a part of the evaluation and team selection committee for the U.S. Under-20 National Team that traveled to Cordoba and Veracruz, Mexico, for the eight-team CONCACAF tournament.
Scarlet and Gray and Carolina Blue Walker is a 1994 graduate of North Carolina. She was a member of three Tar Heel national championship teams, three ACC championship teams and lost only one match in her four-year collegiate career. She was the starting goalkeeper in 1989 and ended her playing career in 1991 with a career goals-against average of 0.41, allowing only 10 goals in 2,206 minutes of play. Walker holds a share of the NCAA tournament record with an amazing 0.00 GAA. She also excelled in the classroom and was named to the ACC academic honor roll three times.
Walker holds an "A" license and a National Youth License from the U.S. Soccer Federation, as well as a Premier diploma from the NSCAA. She is an active member of the NSCAA and former member of the NSCAA Women's Committee.
Watching the World of Soccer Walker annually scouts, watches and learns from the best players and top coaches from around the world through her work as a color commentator for televised soccer matches, something she has done for more than 80 games over the last nine years. The most experienced American female analyst calling games off-monitor, Walker's announcing resume is impressive: She has provided analysis for FOX Soccer Channel's coverage of the US Women's National team the past three summers. She called her second Olympic Games as part of NBC's HD broadcast of men's and women's games at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She also called the 2004 Athens Olympic soccer games. In 2007, Walker was an ESPN and ESPN2 analyst for nine FIFA Women's World Cup matches. She was the first female analyst to call a men's game during the 2006 MLS season for HDNet. She has announced three seasons - 2001-03 - of Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) action and this past summer she called Women's Professional Soccer games on Fox Soccer Channel and Comcast.
At Home A native of Albany, N.Y., Walker was a high school All-American at Guilderland Central High School. She earned letters in soccer, basketball and volleyball. Her hobbies include snow skiing, learning to play the guitar, horseback riding, mountain biking, rollerblading and sailing.
Student-Athletes Thrive at Ohio State ...athletically as well as academically
Lori Walker has overseen the development of academic All-Americans, scholar-athletes, All-Americans, tournament MVPs, freshmen of the year and National team members ... and the list of accomplishments and honorees grows each year.
National Team/Camp Representatives Cassie Dickerson........................U.S. U-23 Women's National Team Camp (2011) Megan Fuller.............................U.S. U-20 Women's National Team Camp (2011) Danica Wu................................Canadian U-17 Women's National Team (2007-08) ...............................................Canadian U-20 Women's National Team (2012) Lisa Collison...........................Canadian U-19 World Cup-Moscow (2006) Lara Dickenmann..........................Swiss Women's National Team (2004-Present) Ashley Bowyer............................U.S. U-23 Women's National Team (2009) .........................................U.S. U-20 Women's National Team Camp (2007-08) Tiffany Cameron..........................Canadian U-17 Women's National Team (2008) Lauren Granberg..........................Canadian U-17 Women's National Team (2008) ..................................................Canadian U-20 Women's National Team (2012) Karin Sendel.............................Israeli Women's National Team (2009) .........................................Israeli U-19 Women's National Team (2003-07)
CoSIDA Academic All-American Jen Miller (1st team)....................2002
NSCAA/adidas Scholar All-Americans Ashley Bowyer (1st team).................2009 Lara Dickenmann (1st team East reg.).....2007 Caitlin Colfer (2nd team East reg.)......2007 Amanda Ball (hon. men. East reg.)........2006, 2007 Keiana Mitchell (hon. men. East reg.)....2006, 2007 Emily Francis (3rd team East reg.).......2006 NSCAA/adidas All-Americans Cassie Dickerson (1st team)................2010 Paige Maxwell (3rd team)......................2010 Ashley Bowyer (3rd team).................2009 Lara Dickenmann (2nd team)...............2004 Melissa Miller (2nd team)................2003, 2004 Soccer Buzz All-Americans Lara Dickenmann (1st team)...............2004 Lara Dickenmann (4th team)...............2006, 2007 Melissa Miller (3rd team)................2004
Big Ten Freshman of the Year Lara Dickenmann..........................2004 Lisa Grubb...............................2001
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Paige Maxwell...........................2010
Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Cassie Dickerson.........................2010
Big Ten Tournament MVP Lara Dickenmann (offensive)..............2004 Erica Nollen (defensive).................2004 Lisa Grubb (offensive)...................2002 Jen Miller (defensive)...................2002
Soccer Buzz Freshman All-Americans Lauren Robertson (4th team)..............2006 Lisa Collison (3rd team).................2005 Lara Dickenmann (1st team)...............2004 Danielle Dietrich (honorable mention)....2002
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