Rick Walker (2024) - Saluki Hall of Fame - Southern Illinois University Athletics

Rick Walker

Induction:
2024
Class:
2019

Walker (1987-2019) spent 32 years on the coaching staff at SIU, including 26 seasons as head coach. He was a 13-time conference Coach of the Year and his teams won 16 conference championships, including five-straight, men's MVC titles from 1994-1999. An accomplished open-water swimmer himself, he qualified for the 1980 and 1984 Olympic Trials, won a silver medal at the Olympic Sports Festival in 1979, and held a top-50 world ranking. A 14-year member of the USA Swimming Olympic Committee, Walker was head coach and director for USA Swimming's Open Water National Team for nine years. He was also the 2012 head coach for the Egyptian Olympic team.