Candace Walker has been named Head Women’s Basketball Coach at St. Thomas University, announced Laura Courtley-Todd, Director of Athletics.
Walker, an alumna of the St. Thomas University Sports Administration Master’s program and a former Assistant Coach for the Bobcats, returns to STU after spending the last four seasons at NCAA Division I Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.
“I am thrilled to be a part of the Bobcat family once again,” said Walker. “To be able to return to such a prestigious university and to be at the helm of such an established and successful program is truly a blessing. I am beyond excited about what we can accomplish here as a group, both in the classroom and on the court. I want to thank Laura Courtley-Todd for the opportunity to return and Coach Robin Harmony for taking me under her wing, molding me and preparing me for this opportunity. I look forward to the journey ahead.”
“We couldn’t be more excited to have Coach Walker back here at St. Thomas University,” said Courtley-Todd. “She is prepared to guide our student-athletes in the classroom and on the playing court as Champions of Character.”
Walker spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach at Lamar working under former St. Thomas University Head Basketball Coach and STU alumna Robin Harmony (M.S, Sports Administration, 2009).
Prior to her tenure at Lamar, Walker was an assistant coach at St. Thomas for two seasons also under Harmony who became the Head Coach at Lamar in 2013.
“Candace was a tremendous assistant coach,” said Harmony. “The experience she gained at the Division I level will prove to be invaluable. She has grown as a person and as a coach and she is ready to be a head coach. Candace is familiar with St. Thomas, and that knowledge will pay off. I am sorry to lose her as an assistant, but I am happy that she is getting her opportunity to be a head coach.”
A tireless worker, Walker helped Lamar win a Southland Conference regular-season championship and a berth in the WNIT in 2013-14, and place second in the conference with a 14-4 league record in 2014-15.
Her duties went beyond the basketball court at Lamar where served as an academic advisor for the team’s student-athletes along with coordinating team travel and summer camp programs.
Walker earned a Master’s degree in Sports Administration from St. Thomas University, graduating in 2011. She served as assistant coach while pursuing and after the completion of her Master’s, along with working as a Building Supervisor for the Fernandez Family Center.
In 2011-12 as part of Coach Harmony’s staff, Walker helped lead the Bobcats to a 24-8 overall record and a 12-3 Sun Conference record. She followed that with an even better season in 2012-13, helping the Bobcats post a 27-4 record, including a perfect 14-0 record in the Sun Conference, as St. Thomas was ranked as high as 11th nationally in the NAIA.
Walker, who earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from UNC Wilmington in 2010, played basketball for four seasons at UNCW, finishing her career second on the school’s all-time list for games played at 119 and third in steals with 185. Walker was a standout player at North Atlanta High School in Georgia, earning second-team All-State honors.
As a student, Walker was actively involved with the UNC Wilmington Student Athlete Advisory Committee, Adopt-A-Family and the Relay for Life. At Lamar, she was active in a number of community service activities with the Lady Cardinals and plans to engage the Bobcats with similar programs in alignment with the NAIA’s Champions of Character Program.
Photo Courtesy St. Thomas Athletics
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