History is a major that can be applied to almost any field – communications, research, law, writing and editing, governmental roles and non-profit work – but few people earn a degree in the discipline with an eye towards coaching basketball.

William Walker, Missouri S&T’s men’s head basketball coach and a 1987 history alumnus, was once a member of the team he now coaches. As a student, he admits that he didn’t know exactly what he wanted to pursue as a career when he started college, so he chose a well-rounded major.

“My history degree here was a pleasant surprise – it opened up a world of thought and it’s hard to quantify,” says Walker. “It felt like I became a broader person because of it.”

Walker’s father was director of athletics at University of Central Missouri, but Walker decided to look at other schools in the state where he could play basketball but still be a little distance from home.

“My dad was a World War II veteran, and I used to watch a lot of documentaries about that time with him,” says Walker. “That was what spurred my original interest in history as a subject.”

After graduating, Walker didn’t want to give up the world of basketball, so he joined the University of Alabama-Birmingham as a graduate assistant. He moved up the ranks at other institutions, becoming a full-time assistant coach at some of S&T’s rival schools at the time.

“The first time I came back to S&T as an opposing coach, I didn’t know where the visitor’s locker rooms were,” he says. “It was a surreal return, but your job is to beat the opponent in front of you, so I had to focus and not be too nostalgic.”

Walker was coached by Billy Key and Dale Martin during his playing time at S&T, and he remains in contact with most of his teammates.

“I still remember seeing Mrs. Key, the widow of Coach Key, the first time I returned,” says Walker. “She came up to me and gave me a hug, then she handed me a blue binder filled with news clippings from the local papers about my undergraduate playing time. I still have it at home.”

Eventually, Walker moved up to NCAA Division I athletics programs, serving as assistant coach at the University of Minnesota and Texas A&M, where he coached several future professional players throughout the years, including NBA players Kris Humphries and DeAndre Jordan. He was also a professional scout for the New Orleans Hornets of the National Basketball Association before returning to college coaching.

Walker says that all student-athletes are usually self-starters and very dedicated, with time management being key for basketball players. But Missouri S&T’s student-athletes are a different group compared to the others he has coached.

“Guys come here thinking about 30 years from now and their future careers,” says Walker. “It’s not like a top division program where guys change universities based on something like how many pairs of sneakers they receive or, now, how much money they can earn in college.”

He says he jokingly recommends to all new students to become friends with the smart kids in your class – but says it is easy to find smart ones in S&T’s classrooms since teammates frequently earn academic honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He recommends they build a support network for in-class and in the future.

“I coached several pros, but I remember the folks who went pro in their respective fields, too,” says Walker. “Like one of my former players at another university, Dr. Malcolm Hill, who is now a high school principal in East St. Louis.”

Since his return to S&T, Walker has reconnected with a number of history professors in the department. He says he regularly meets up with faculty like Dr. Larry Gragg, Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus and university historian, and recently had lunch with Dr. John McManus, Curators’ Distinguished Professor of history and political science.

“I asked Dr. McManus what the most impactful event in the history of mankind was in his opinion,” says Walker. “He responded with World War II, and that led us to a long discussion about the subject.”

Walker theorizes that keeping up with past professors and players ties into his love for history.

“Studying history taught me to think long-term, develop critical reading skills, and it gave me a great perspective for coaching,” says Walker. “It helps me keep a level head. Everything has been done under the sun and this too will pass. Don’t celebrate too much when you win and don’t cry when you lose.”