Candice Walker ’11 M’13, a Loyola University Maryland alumna who played in 117 games during her career with the Greyhounds, is returning to her alma mater as an assistant coach with the women’s basketball team, Head Coach Joe Logan announced today.
A Baltimore native, Walker has spent the last six seasons at the University of Massachusetts where she was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the program.
Last year, Walker was a recipient of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s prestigious Thirty Under 30 Award, Marriott Bonvoy & Morgan Stanley Global Sports, an honor that recognizes up-and-coming coaches at all levels of women’s basketball.
“While it is always rewarding to see a former player choose to go into coaching it is special when they return to their alma mater, and I am ecstatic to welcome Candice back to Loyola,” Logan said. “I was extremely proud, but not surprised, when Candice was chosen as one of the top 30 assistant coaches under 30. Her work ethic and drive has made her one of the top recruiters in the region, and being from Baltimore, I am happy that she will be coming home in more ways than one.
“I know she will be a role model and mentor not only to our team, but also to the community. Candice has the ability and passion to touch people’s lives, and I am excited to watch her build relationships and help our players grow on and off the basketball court! I am also very happy that our players will have someone with vast experiences to learn from.”
During her four seasons as an assistant coach at UMass – Walker was the program’s director of operations in 2015-16 – she has helped the Minutewomen improve from 9-21 in 2016-17 to the team’s first 20-win season (20-11) since 1995-96 a year ago.
“I am very thankful to Coach Joe Logan and Loyola’s administration for this tremendous opportunity to return to my alma mater,” Walker said. “Once a player and now as a coach, it has always been a dream of mine to come back and give back to a University that has given so much to me. I look forward to working side by side with Coach Logan while continuing to grow and develop under his leadership.”
While working closely with the Minutewomen offense in 2019-20, she helped the team lead the Atlantic-10 Conference and finish 36th in the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.13:1) while finishing second in the league in scoring offense (66.0). The team’s 20 wins tied a program record, it set a new mark for consecutive wins (11) and hosted and won an Atlantic-10 Tournament game for the first time since 1998.
The year prior, Walker helped Massachusetts win 16 games, the most for the program in 12 years. She also was a top recruiter for the program, adding recruiting coordinator duties to her profile in 2019, helping to assemble several nationally-ranked recruiting classes.
Before joining the staff in Amherst, Massachusetts, Walker began her collegiate coaching career at Wilmington (Del.) University from 2013-15. During that time, the Wildcats increased their win total in both seasons over that of the year prior.
Walker spent six seasons at Loyola, using two medical redshirts after injuries stalled a pair of seasons. She debuted in 2007-2008 after graduating from nearby Towson Catholic High School and was the first freshman to start at point guard for the Greyhounds since the 1991-92 season. She earned Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-Rookie recognition, starting all 30 games and setting a freshman record with 93 assists while averaging 8.2 points per game.
Over the course of her career, she played in 117 games, a mark that still ranks 10th in school history, while making 59 starts. She finished her career with 531 points, 222 rebounds, 214 steals and 78 steals.
Since starting her coaching career, Walker has attended the WBCA’s “So You Want To Be A Coach” program, while attending numerous “A Step Up Symposium.” She is also a graduate of the Alliance of Women’s Coaches.
