Chad Walthall

Chad Walthall just completed his third year at the University of Iowa and 22nd overall as a coach.

While on the Hawkeye coaching staff, he was lead recruiter for 2009 Big Ten all-Freshman team members Cully Payne and Eric May. Walthall was also lead recruiter for 2010 Top 150 recruits Cody Larson (No. 55), Ben Brust (No. 108) and Zach McCabe (No. 141). Overall, Iowa’s 2010 recruiting class was ranked 20th in the nation and third in the Big Ten, by Van Coleman.

During the last three years, Walthall served as interim head coach for four games, while Head Coach Todd Lickliter was sidelined due to health reasons. Walthall coached three seasons alongside Lickliter, who was the 2007 NABC Coach of the Year, during a significant rebuilding process at Iowa.

Walthall served seven seasons at Loras College as head basketball coach (2000-07), becoming the third winningest coach in school history. He also served as Director of Athletics from 2004-07.

Walthall was named 2006-07 Iowa Intercollegiate Conference (IIAC) Coach of the Year while leading the Duhawks to a 15-1 conference record and the IIAC title. It was the first IIAC title for Loras since the 1950-51 season and its most conference wins in school history. Along with achieving regular season success, Walthall led Loras to its first IIAC tournament title and first NCAA tournament berth in school history. His seven-year mark at Loras was 116-69.

In the three years prior to Walthall’s arrival, Loras had only won 35% of its conference games, including a 10th place finish in league play in 1999-2000, a year prior to his arrival. In Walthall’s first season of rebuilding the program, Loras dramatically improved to finish fourth in the league and hosted its first conference tournament game in school history. From that first season, Walthall progressively built Loras into a perennial league contender and one of the top Division III programs in the West Region.

Walthall led Loras to winning seasons in the very competitive Iowa conference in each of his seven seasons. In his last three years, Loras won an impressive 77% (37-11) of its league games, more than any other basketball program in the conference. In his final two seasons, Loras posted a 22-3 home record, including 11-game winning streaks in both 2005-06 and 2006-07.

With the rebuilding job complete, Walthall joined the Iowa program and left the Loras basketball program in excellent shape, as the Duhawks returned their entire starting line-up, including the returning IIAC MVP. Loras began the 2007-08 season ranked eighth in the country and as a unanimous selection to repeat as Iowa Conference champions. Loras went on to repeat as IIAC tournament champions and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.

Walthall has proven he is a highly successful recruiter, as those graduating seniors had the best conference (50-14) and overall record of any IIAC team during their four-year career. Also, they ended with the second best winning percentage of any four-year period in school history. Walthall recruited 11 players who earned 19 all-conference selections, including a two-time IIAC Player of the Year, two-time all-region honoree and a two-time all-American, and five 1,000-point scorers. In 2005, Loras was recognized as the best small college recruiting class in Chicago by Hoop Scoop magazine.

In addition to building and leading the Duhawks to success on the court, Walthall focused on helping student athletes make a difference off the court, as he implemented several community outreach programs in the Dubuque area during his tenure.

Walthall took over the Loras program after serving as assistant coach at Eastern Michigan for two years (1998-2000), where he worked with Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter. Walthall was previously an assistant coach at St. Olaf College for four years (1994-98) and served as head coach at Redwood Valley High School in Minnesota for one season (1993-94). He was a graduate assistant coach at St. Cloud State University for two years (1991-93). While at St. Cloud State he also served as the head coach for a Collegiate All-Star team that toured Europe.

Walthall attended Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, earning a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and Health in 1991. While at Saint Cloud State he earned his master’s degree in Athletics Administration (1993).

As a collegiate athlete at Concordia, Walthall played quarterback and was part of two Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) football championships. He earned all-conference honors in that sport as a junior and senior. He also served as student assistant basketball coach during his time there.

As a high school athlete in Staples, MN, Walthall was team captain and three-year starter in football, basketball and baseball, earning numerous all-conference honors. His 1986 basketball team placed as a state runner-up and he was selected to play point guard in the Minnesota All-Star basketball game as a senior.

Walthall was born Sept. 13, 1968 and is a native of Staples, MN. He and his wife, Jenni, have four children, a daughter Brooke (nine), twin sons Brady and Blake (seven), and son Beau (three).