Newly appointed men’s basketball coach Dan Monson announced Wednesday the hiring of two members to his coaching staff.
Mike Petersen, head women’s coach at Texas Christian University, and Bill Walker, assistant coach at Central Missouri State, each come to Monson’s staff after spending the past three seasons with their respective programs.
“I’m very excited to have these two coaches join my staff,” Monson said in a press release Wednesday. “I need to have coaches on my staff who I have a long-term relationship with and who know me and my style of basketball. Mike and Bill both fit this description.”
Petersen has been a head women’s basketball coach for 11 of the past 14 years, starting as the head coach at Gonzaga (1985-89) where he posted a career record of 65-48. His involvement in women’s athletics was then interrupted when Petersen served for three years as Monson’s assistant for the men’s team at Oregon. He returned to coach women in 1992 when he became the head coach at New Mexico State University, where he produced a 81-38 record. Petersen in 1996 came to Texas Christian University where he coached his team to a school record 16 wins last season.
“I’m really excited to be able to join Dan’s staff at the University,” Petersen said in the release. “I’m respectful of the challenge that lies ahead, but very confident that we will be able to get the job done.”
Petersen also holds the distinction of being the only collegiate coach to have had both a future NBA and WNBA player under his tutelage. He coached Terrell Brandon while at Oregon, and Anita Maxwell during his stint at New Mexico State.
Walker brings an eye for talent with him from his three years as an assistant coach at Central Missouri State and eight years as an assistant at the University of Missouri at St. Louis. Walker signed a player who was named to the all-freshman team each of the last five seasons, two of whom were recognized as freshman of the year. His sister Barbara is the associate athletics director at Wake Forest and his father Floyd was the athletics director at Central Missouri State.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to be able to compete at the very highest level in the Big Ten Conference,” Walker said in the release. “I’m looking forward to doing the best possible job that I can for the University.”