Drury University Athletics

In the sport of men’s basketball the years from 1980-1991 could be called the Marvin Walker decade at Drury. After leaving Drury in the summer of 1991 and as the Panthers’ head coach for 11 seasons, Marvin Walker still has the third longest stint as a head coach of the Drury basketball team with only A.L Weiser (31 years) and Gary Stanfield (13 years) having held that position longer. In those 11 years the “Walker-coached” Panthers won 249 of 359 games for a .694 winning percentage. That 249 win total makes Coach Walker the second winningest coach in Drury men’s basketball history. Only the venerable Weiser, who had 316 wins in his 31-year career, had more Panther victories. In terms of winning percentage only Bill Harding had a better percentage. Harding’s teams were 119-44 over a six year span, good for a .730 winning percentage. During his 11-year Drury career Walkers’ Panther teams won more NAIA District 16 titles (5) and his teams played in more NAIA national tournaments (5) than under any other Drury men’s basketball coach. Two of his teams, the 1986 Panthers and the 1989 Panthers, advanced to the NAIA Round of 16 with the 1985 squad making it to the NAIA quarterfinals. For his efforts he was named the District 16 Coach of the Year in 1984, 1986 and 1989 and was the NAIA Area 4 Coach of the Year in 1986. That was the year his Panther squad twice defeated teams which were ranked #1 in the nation during the regular season: Fort Hays State University and Washburn University. Marvin Walker had more 20-win seasons than any other Drury coach (8) and six of his 11 teams were nationally- ranked. While his teams were winning basketball games, district titles and advancing to national tournaments, Marvin Walker maintained the Drury philosophy of the student-athlete as 43 of 44 seniors ultimately earned their Drury degree, good for a graduation rate of over 98 percent.