AMES, Iowa – Former Iowa State head football coach Jim Walden, who led the Cyclones from 1987-94, passed away on Thursday. He was 88 years old.
Walden directed Iowa State to a 28-57-3 overall record during his tenure, but his penchant to come up with big upset highlighted his time in Ames.
Walden took over coaching reins at Iowa State under tough circumstances when he was handcuffed by scholarship reductions due to NCAA infractions from the previous regime.
Walden’s outgoing personality provided Iowa State fans with optimism during his first two years when he struggled to field a competitive team.
In Walden’s third season in 1989, the Cyclones produced a winning campaign with a 6-5 record and a tie for fourth (4-3) in the Big Eight in despite a little over 50 scholarship players available. It was the first time the Cyclones had an above-.500 league record since 1978.
Unfortunately, with only 18 bowl games compared to 46 today, the Cyclones weren’t invited to participate in the postseason. Injuries plagued Walden’s teams throughout the rest of his tenure, but the Cyclone head man was always capable of pulling off the big upset.
Walden coached or recruited five All-Americans during his Cyclone tenure in Bryant, Mike Busch, Gene Williams, Doug Skartvedt and Troy Davis.
Iowa State hired Walden after a successful tenure at Washington State (1978-86) where he was a two-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 1981 and 1983. His 1981 Cougar team went 8-3-1 and qualified for the school’s first bowl game in 51 years.He compiled a 44-52-4 record at WSU.
Walden received his first collegiate coaching job at Nebraska in 1969 under legendary coach Bob Devaney and was an assistant on Nebraska’s 1970 and 1971 national championship teams.
