University of Louisville Athletics

Lightning speed. That's the only rate at which Jeff Walz operates. It's also the pace at which University of Louisville women's basketball burst into the national spotlight under his tutelage as one of the most competitive and successful programs.

On March 18, 2022, it was announced that his contract with the University of Louisville had been extended through 2028-29.

Walz and the Cardinals boast quite an astounding resumé that includes 12 trips to the NCAA Sweet 16, eight trips to the Elite Eight, four trips to the final four and two trips to the national title game. Overall, he has compiled a 40-15 record in NCAA Tournament games and ranks ninth all-time and fifth among active coaches with a 72.7 NCAA Tournament winning percentage. All of this for a program that had just four NCAA Tournament wins and had never reached a Sweet 16 prior to Walz being named head coach.

Walz is the all-time winningest coach in program history with a record of 465-135 and averages 27.4 victories per season. He directed Louisville to a program-record 36 victories in 2017-18 en route to being named ACC Coach of the Year, 34 victories in 2008-09, 33 wins in 2013-14, 32 wins in 2018-19 and 29 wins in 2021-22.
 
The Cardinals have reached 20 wins 14-consecutive times and they have won at least 20 games in 16 of Walz’s 17 seasons. The longest run previously was three, achieved twice, and UofL had just 10 20-win seasons in its 32 previous years.

Walz led Louisville to four consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference regular season titles in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, and over that four-year span, the Cardinals went a combined 122-15, which marked the fewest losses and best winning percentage over a four-year period in program history.

From 2016-2021, he coached the ACC Player of the Year in five of six seasons as Myisha Hines-Allen won the award in 2016, Asia Durr in 2018 and 2019, and Dana Evans in 2020 and 2021. He also coached Angel McCoughtry to Big East Player of the Year honors in 2007.

After being hired as the Cardinals' head coach on March 27, 2007, the Bluegrass State native used little time to make a splash. His first year featured the program's first NCAA Sweet 16 and it culminated with Louisville earning the No. 12 ranking in the final ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. For his efforts, Walz was named the WBCA Maggie Dixon Rookie Coach of the Year.

Prior to taking the reins at Louisville, Walz spent five seasons at Maryland, including his final season as the associate head coach in 2006-07. The season prior, he helped lead the Terrapins to a school-record 34 wins and the program's first national title.

His tenure in the collegiate ranks consists of stops previously at Minnesota, Nebraska, and Western Kentucky.

Walz received a basketball scholarship to Northern Kentucky, where he graduated from with a bachelor of science in secondary education in May of 1995. He earned his master's degree in education in August of 1997 from Western Kentucky.

Walz has four children: daughter Kaeley, son Jacob, and daughters Lola and Lucy. He married the former Lauren Lueders in September of 2012, and the couple resides in Louisville.

COACHING RESPONSIBILITY: Head Coach
YEAR AT LOUISVILLE: 17th
LOUISVILLE COACHING RECORD: 465-135 (17 seasons)
INTERNATIONAL COACHING RECORD: 19-1 
COMBINED COACHING RECORD: 484-136
BIRTHDAY: October 27
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s Degree (Northern Kentucky, ’95); Master’s Degree (Western Kentucky, ’97)
HOMETOWN: Fort Thomas, Ky.
FAMILY: Wife – Lauren; Son – Jacob; Daughters – Kaeley, Lola, Lucy

ATHLETIC CAREER

• Two-year letterwinner on the men’s basketball team at Northern Kentucky

COLLEGIATE COACHING CAREER
2007-Present: Louisville (head coach)
2006-07: Maryland (associate head coach)
2002-06: Maryland (assistant coach)
2001-02: Minnesota (assistant coach)
1997-01: Nebraska (assistant coach)
1996-97: Western Kentucky (assistant coach)

COACHING HIGHLIGHTS

LOUISVILLE

• Is the winningest coach in program history with a 465-135 record in 16 seasons, boasting a 214-68 mark in league play; Louisville is averaging 27.4 victories per year.
• In 17 years, he has directed Louisville to a pair of national runner-up finishes (2009, 2013), four Final Four appearances (2009, 2013, 2018, 2022), eight Elite Eight appearances (2009, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023), 12 trips to the Sweet 16, and 15 NCAA Tournament appearances. At the conclusion of the 2019-20 regular season, the NCAA Tournament was canceled.
• Louisville is fifth in the country in NCAA Final Four appearances since 2009 with four (2009, 2013, 2018, 2022).
• Walz is one of 11 coaches all-time to reach at least four Final Fours.
• Ranks ninth all-time in NCAA Tournament winning percentage (minimum of 20 games), boasting a 40-15 mark (72.7 winning percentage).
• Became just the second coach in NCAA history to take a team to the national championship game (2009) after just two seasons as a head coach.
• In 2013, orchestrated the biggest upset in women's basketball history with the defeat of No. 1 overall seed Baylor in the NCAA Sweet 16; Louisville then defeated No. 2 seed Tennessee to reach their second Final Four in four years before beating Cal to advance to the national title game.
• Led the Cards to 34 victories in 2009; after knocking off a pair of No. 1 seeds (Maryland, Oklahoma) and a No. 2 seed (Baylor), the Cardinals advanced to the championship game; Louisville defeated Maryland for its first NCAA Final Four appearance.
• Named ACC Coach of the Year after producing a program-best 36-3 record in 2017-18 as Louisville reached its third Final Four. Reached as high as No. 2 in Associated Press poll, which marked highest rating in school history. Opened season with a 20-0 record, which marked best start and longest winning streak in program history. 
• Directed Cardinals to 32-4 record and its second straight ACC regular season championship in 2018-19, which marked the first time in program history that Louisville has won back-to-back regular season conference titles. Advanced to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season.
• Led Louisville to a 28-4 record and its third straight ACC regular season championship in 2019-20. It marked the program's first ever outright ACC regular season title. Prior to this stretch, Louisville had never won consecutive regular season conference titles. It also marked UofL’s first outright regular season conference title since they won the Conference USA regular season championship in 2000-01. It marked their 8th conference title.
• Led Cardinals to 26-4 record and its fourth straight ACC regular season title in 2020-21. Longest stretch of conference titles in program history. Reached No. 1 in Associated Press and USA Today polls following 16-0 start, which marked the first time in program history being ranked No. 1 in the country. Advanced to the Elite Eight for the third consecutive season.
• Led Louisville to a 29-5 record and a trip to the program's fourth ever Final Four in 2021-22. UofL went 10-4 against AP Top 25 teams, which is the most AP Top 25 wins in program history. Their 16-2 mark in ACC play ties the most wins ever in conference play and they finished 16-0 at home marking the first time they have went undefeated at the KFC Yum! Center.
• Directed the Cardinals to a 26-12 during the 2022-23 season and guided the Cardinals to their fifth-straight Elite Eight appearance. They were the only team in the country to appear in each of the last five Elite Eights (2018-23). The Cardinals advanced to six-straight Sweet 16's (2017-23) and it was the third-longest active streak in the country. The Cardinals eclipsed the 20-win mark for the 13th-straight season. The Cardinals also made the ACC Tournament Championship for the fourth time in program history. 
• Led the Cardinals to a 24-10 overall record and was 12-6 in ACC play to finish fifth in the league in the 2023-24 season. The Cardinals are the only ACC school to have at least 10 conference wins and finish fifth or better in each of the last 10 seasons. Louisville advanced to the ACC Quarterfinals for the 10th-straight season, the only program in the conference to hit that mark in each of the last 10 years. Louisville collected its 1,000 all-time program win against Duke on Jan. 4 and they became the 27th program to reach 1,000 all-time wins. Louisville won 20 or more games for the 14th-straight season, the fifth-longest active streak in the country. In the summer of 2023, Walz guided the Cardinals to a Gold Medal at the 2023 GLOBL JAM tournament in Toronto.
• Named WBCA Regional Coach of the Year, Naismith National Coach of the Year finalist in 2017-18 and 2018-19
• Named Naismith National Coach of the Year Semifinalist in 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22.
• From 2017-2020, Louisville put together 96-11 record, which marks the fewest losses and best winning percentage over a three-year span in program history.
• Has directed the Cardinals to 13 consecutive seasons with at least 20 victories.
• Walz surpassed 200 career wins in just 272 games, becoming the 21st-fastest active coach to reach the plateau and achieving it nine games quicker than Connecticut head coach Geno Auriermma; is one of three active coaches to reach at least two Final Fours within first 200 wins.
• 14 players have been drafted in the WNBA under the tutelage of Walz. Eight players have been selected over the past five drafts (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023), which is third-most in the country. Emily Engstler was selected by the Indiana Fever with the fourth pick of the 2021 WNBA Draft. Kianna Smith was selected by the Los Angeles Sparks in the second round of the 2022 draft. Dana Evans was selected by the Dallas Wings with the 13th pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft. Jazmine Jones and forward Kylee Shook were selected in back-to-back picks by the New York Liberty in the 2020 WNBA Draft. Jones went 12^th overall and was the final pick of the first round, while Shook went 13^th. Asia Durr was selected second overall by the New York Liberty in the 2019 WNBA Draft and was later joined by Arica Carter, who went to the Phoenix Mercury with the 32nd pick, and Sam Fuehring, who went to the Washington Mystics with the 34th pick. With three players drafted in 2019, Louisville tied its program-record which was also set in 2014. Myisha Hines-Allen was drafted 19th overall by the Washington Mystics in the 2018 WNBA Draft. In 2014, Louisville had three players drafted with Shoni Schimmel (eighth), Antonita Slaughter (35th), and Asia Taylor (36th); Louisville's three picks were the most from any school that season. Angel McCoughtry was selected first overall by Atlanta Dream in 2009 draft and Candyce Bingham was selected 39th in 2009 draft.
• Coached Dana Evans to ACC Player of the Year and WBCA All-American accolades during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, joining Asia Durr as the only players to earn player of the year honors multiple times. She became the first player in ACC history (male or female) to win Player of the Year honors a year after winning ACC Sixth Player of the Year. Walz has coached the ACC Player of the Year in five of the past six seasons (Evans - 2020-21; 2019-20; Durr - 2018-19; 2017-18; Hines-Allen - 2015-16). She is the fourth player in program history to earn a player of the year distinction, joining Durr, Hines-Allen and Angel McCoughtry (2006-07 Big East Player of the Year). She is third WBCA All-American in program history, joined by Durr and McCoughtry.
• Piloted Asia Durr to ACC Player of the Year accolades for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns. She was the first player in program history to earn player of the year honors multiple times, later to be joined by Evans. She was a two-time WBCA All-American, becoming the second player in program history (McCoughtry) to be named WBCA All-American. She was selected second overall by the New York Liberty in the 2019 WNBA Draft.
• Named the 2008 WBCA Maggie Dixon Rookie Coach of the Year in his first season after leading the school to its first NCAA Sweet 16; that year, Louisville earned its first win over a top-five opponent (No. 4 Rutgers) in school history, then beat No. 16 West Virginia for consecutive wins over ranked opponents for the first time in school history.
• Named USA Basketball National Coach of the Year after guiding the 2019 USA Basketball Women’s U19 National Team to a gold medal at the World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand. Also led the 2018 U18 team to a gold medal in Mexico City. Served as court coach for 2017 USA Basketball National Team Training Camp. Served as U-23 National Team head coach during summer of 2017 and led team to 3-0 record at U24 Four Nations Tournament in Tokyo, Japan. Was on the 2014 staff for the USA Basketball Women’s U-18 National Team and worked as an assistant for the U.S. Women’s U-19 World Championship Team; both squads earned gold medals.
• Guided the Cardinals to a 16-2 conference record in 2013-14 (AAC), 2019-20 (ACC) and 2021-22 (ACC), setting the program record for most conference victories. Coached the program to a stellar 15-1 mark in ACC play in 2015-16 and 2017-18, the second-most wins in conference play in school history.
• Has a proven track record for identifying talent, having signed multiple top-10 recruiting classes; inked the program's highest-rated group in 2015 that was ranked first by ESPN; overall, Walz has signed 16 McDonald’s All-Americans.
• Developed five of the most decorated players in school history in Angel McCoughtry, Shoni Schimmel, Myisha Hines-Allen, Asia Durr and Dana Evans; all finished their careers as AP All-Americans. McCoughtry, Durr, Schimmel and Hines-Allen rank No. 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively, on the career scoring list, while Evans ranks ninth all-time.
• Directed McCoughtry to become the first pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft; she was the program's first three-time State Farm WBCA All-American; she accumulated 2007 BIG EAST Player of the Year and 2009 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year honors during her tenure along with 2009 Raleigh Regional Most Outstanding Player accolades.
• Built an exciting brand of basketball that has seen Louisville rank in the top-10 nationally in attendance each of the last 13 seasons; the Cardinals have averaged more than 9,277 per game during that span. Does not include attendance figures from 2020-21 season that featured 15% capacity due to the pandemic.
• Louisville boasts a 236-40 home record (85.5 winning percentage) with Walz at the helm. Since opening the KFC Yum! Center in 2010, the Cardinals boast a 206-23 (.900) record at home. The Cardinals set the record for home wins in 2013-14 (18-2), 2016-17 (18-2), and 2017-18 (18-1). In 2021-22, Louisville finished the season undefeated (16-0) at the KFC Yum! Center for the first time in program history.

MARYLAND

• Helped build Maryland into a national power during his tenure, with the Terrapins winning the 2006 national title; Maryland made four-consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament, advancing to at least the second round each time
• The Terrapins won at least 18 games in his final four seasons, including a school-record 34 in 2006
• Seven Terrapins earned all-ACC accolades; two players (Crystal Langhorne, Marissa Coleman) earned ACC Rookie of the Year status in consecutive seasons
• Was pivotal in Maryland signing back-to-back recruiting classes that were ranked in the top five (2004, 2005)

MINNESOTA

• Specifically worked with the posts and centers, including developing Janel McCarville into the 2002 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
• The Gophers went 22-8 in his lone season with the program, culminating with a trip to the NCAA Tournament second round; the program went just 8-20 the season prior.

NEBRASKA

• Played a major role in Nebraska earning a then-school record three-consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament (1998-00); the Huskers totaled a pair of 20-plus win seasons.
• Coached Nicole Kubik, the Los Angeles Sparks' No. 1 pick in the 2000 WNBA Draft.
• Was involved in all aspects of the program, including recruiting efforts, academics, scheduling, and camps; also became responsible for individual development workouts and opponent scouting.

WESTERN KENTUCKY

• Helped the team earn an at-large bid to the 1997 NCAA Tournament.
• Assisted Western Kentucky to a 22-9 record to earn a share of the Sun Belt regular-season title.

PRE-COLLEGIATE CAREER

• Served as an AAU coach in 1995-96; coached at the middle and high school levels in 1992.
• Coached his sister Jaime, the 1996 National Prep Player of the Year; she now is the girls' basketball coach at their alma mater Highlands High School.
• Mentored 1999 NCAA champion and WNBA standout Ukari Figgs, Tennessee four-year letterwinner Kyra Elzy, and Ohio State product and Louisville native Marita Porter.

COACH WALZ YEAR-BY-YEAR RESULTS

YEAR	SCHOOL	RECORD	POSTSEASON
2007-08	Louisville	26-10 / 10-6 BIG EAST (t-5th)	NCAA Sweet 16
2008-09	Louisville	34-5 / 14-2 BIG EAST (2nd)	NCAA Runner-Up
2009-10	Louisville	14-18 / 5-11 BIG EAST (t-13th)	WBI First Round
2010-11	Louisville	22-13 / 10-6 BIG EAST (t-5th)	NCAA Sweet 16
2011-12	Louisville	23-10 / 10-6 BIG EAST (6th)	NCAA Second Round
2012-13	Louisville	29-9 / 11-5 BIG EAST (t-3rd)	NCAA Runner-Up
2013-14	Louisville	33-5 / 16-2 AAC (2nd)	NCAA Elite Eight
2014-15	Louisville	27-7 / 12-4 ACC (3rd)	NCAA Sweet 16
2015-16	Louisville	26-8 / 15-1 ACC (2nd)	NCAA Second Round
2016-17	Louisville	29-8 / 12-4 ACC (4th)	NCAA Sweet 16
2017-18	Louisville	36-3 / 15-1 ACC (1st)	NCAA Final Four
2018-19	Louisville	32-4 / 14-2 ACC (1st)	NCAA Elite Eight
2019-20	Louisville	28-4 / 16-2 ACC (1st)	*No NCAA Tourney
2020-21	Louisville	26-4 / 14-2 ACC (1st)	NCAA Elite Eight
2021-22	Louisville	29-5 / 16-2 ACC (2nd)	NCAA Final Four
2022-23	Louisville	26-12 / 12-6 ACC (4th)	NCAA Elite Eight
2023-24	Louisville	24-10 / 12-6 ACC (5th)	NCAA First Round
17 Years		465-135 / 214-68	15 NCAA / 1 WBI
International Record		19-1 (4 gold medals)
Combined Record		484-136