Jeff Walz

{{Infobox college coach

|name = Jeff Walz

|image = Jeff Walz.jpg

|caption =

|current_title = Head coach

|current_team = Louisville

|current_conference = ACC

|current_record = {{Winning percentage|486|146|record=y}}

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|10|27}}

|birth_place = Fort Thomas, Kentucky, U.S.

|death_date =

|death_place =

|coach_years1 = 1996–1997

|coach_team1 = Western Kentucky (asst.)

|coach_years2 = 1997–2001

|coach_team2 = Nebraska (asst.)

|coach_years3 = 2001–2002

|coach_team3 = Minnesota (asst.)

|coach_years4 = 2002–2007

|coach_team4 = Maryland (asst.)

|coach_years5 = 2007–present

|coach_team5 = Louisville

|overall_record = {{Winning percentage|486|146|record=y}}

|championships =

NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship (2006) (asst)
4× NCAA Regional—Final Four (2009, 2013, 2018, 2022)
ACC tournament (2018)
4× ACC regular season (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

}}

Jeffrey Jacob Walz (born October 27, 1971){{cite web|url=http://www.guide.provations.com/louisville/2012womensbb#pg90|title=University of Louisville 2011–12 Women's Basketball Media Guide|page=88|publisher=University of Louisville Sports Information|access-date=November 8, 2012}} is the head coach of the women's basketball team at the University of Louisville. In his second year as a head coach, he guided his team to a national championship appearance at the 2009 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, and led the Cardinals to a second championship game appearance in 2013.

High school

Walz attended Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, Kentucky.{{cite web|url=http://www.uoflsports.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/walz_jeff00.html|title=Jeff Walz|publisher=CBS Interactive|access-date=June 5, 2010 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221132218/http://www.uoflsports.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/walz_jeff00.html |archive-date=February 21, 2011|df=mdy-all}}

College

Walz completed his undergraduate studies at Northern Kentucky, attending on a basketball scholarship. He graduated in 1995, earning a Bachelor of Science in secondary education, and went on to complete a master's degree at Western Kentucky in 1997 while serving as a women's basketball graduate assistant coach under Paul Sanderford.

Coaching

Walz began coaching middle school and high school teams before finishing college. His first college position was assistant to Paul Sanderford at Western Kentucky,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=P_EaAAAAIBAJ&pg=6239,1204911&dq=jeff-walz&hl=en|title=Coach Walz to leave Western for Nebraska|author=Frakes, Jason|date=July 11, 1997|work=The Daily News|access-date=November 10, 2018|via=Google News}} where he coached his sister Jaime Walz, who earned Kentucky "Miss Basketball" honors in 1996.

When Sanderford moved to take the head coach position at the University of Nebraska, Walz followed him as an assistant. While at Nebraska, he helped the program go to a school record three consecutive NCAA appearances.

In 2002, Walz accepted a position as assistant to Brenda Frese (then Brenda Oldfield) at Minnesota. Frese won AP Coach of the Year honors after improving Minnesota from 8–20 to 22–8. The University of Maryland persuaded her to accept the head coaching position and Walz also made the move. He spent five seasons at Maryland, helping them to become a national power, including a national championship at the 2006 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament.

Walz made the transition to head coach in 2007, accepting an offer from the University of Louisville.{{cite news|url=http://www.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/stories/032707aaq.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622005214/http://www.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/stories/032707aaq.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 22, 2011|title=Louisville Names Kentucky Native Jeff Walz as Women's Basketball Coach|date=March 27, 2007|publisher=CSTV Networks|access-date=November 10, 2018}} The school moved into the top 15 in attendance in his first year, averaging 6,456 fans per game, and attracting a total of 77,480 people that season.{{cite news|url=http://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/ncaatourney08/columns/story?columnist=hays_graham&id=3314595|title=Stutter or not, Louisville coach Walz a real statement maker|author=Hays, Graham|date=March 21, 2008|website=ESPN.com|publisher=ESPN|access-date=November 10, 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/w_basketball_RB/reports/Attend/08att.pdf|title=2007-08 NCAA Women's Basketball Attendance|publisher=NCAA|access-date=November 10, 2018}}

When the women's team (along with the U of L men's team) moved to the KFC Yum! Center in 2010, attendance took another major jump. In both of the first two seasons that the Cardinals women spent at the KFC Yum! Center (2010–11 and 2011–12), the team ranked second in national attendance behind Tennessee.{{cite web|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/w_basketball_RB/reports/Attend/11att.pdf|title=2011 NCAA Women's Basketball Attendance|publisher=NCAA|access-date=November 8, 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/w_basketball_RB/reports/Attend/12att.pdf|title=2012 NCAA Women's Basketball Attendance|publisher=NCAA|access-date=November 8, 2012}}

Walz received a pay increase from his athletic director Tom Jurich, prior to the 2012–13 season.

Walz took the 2012–13 team to the national championship game, falling to UConn 93–60.

Awards and honors

2008—Maggie Dixon Award{{cite web|title=Spalding Maggie Dixon NCAA Division I Rookie Coach of the Year|url=https://wbca.org/recognize/coach-awards/spalding-maggie-dixon-ncaa-division-i-rookie-coach-year|publisher=Women's Basketball Coaches Association|access-date=November 10, 2018}}

Head coaching record

{{CBB Yearly Record Start

|type=coach

|conference=

|postseason=

|poll=no

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead

|name=Louisville Cardinals

|startyear=2007

|conference=Big East

|endyear=2013

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

|championship =

|season = 2007–08

|name = Louisville

|overall = 26–10

|conference = 10–6

|confstanding = T-5th

|postseason = NCAA Sweet Sixteen

}}