University of Minnesota Athletics
MONSON NAMES TWO MEMBERS OF BASKETBALL STAFF
7/28/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Both coaches have close ties to Monson. Petersen was an assistant coach for Monson's father Don Monson at Oregon (1989-92) and it was there, working the elder Monson's summer camps, that the two started their relationship. Walker's career was also tied to Dan Monson's. The two coaches served together at the University of Alabama-Birmingham for two seasons (1987- 89) under Gene Bartow.
"I'm very excited to have these two coaches join my staff," said Head Coach Dan Monson. "I need to have coaches on my staff who I have a long term relationship with and who know me and my style of basketball. Mike and Bill both fit this description. They are excellent coaches, very good friends, and they bring a wealth and variety of experience to the position. I'm confident that they and the two other staff members I add will do an excellent job and help me get the University of Minnesota basketball program back on track."
Petersen has been a head women's coach for 11 of the past 14 years, starting as the head coach at Gonzaga (1985-89) where he posted a 65-48 record, including a pair of first-place finishes. Included in that record is GU's shocking WCAC title in the team's first year in the conference and only its second year at the Division I level. He followed that with three years as an assistant coach of the men's program at Oregon under Don Monson where he coached current Minnesota Timberwolf Terrell Brandon.
Petersen went on to become the women's head coach at New Mexico State University from 1992-96 where he posted an 81-38 record, with four upper division finishes, three consecutive 20-win seasons and a conference title in four years. While there he coached All-American and current WNBA player Anita Maxwell, making him the only collegiate coach to have coached a NBA and a WNBA player. He became the TCU head coach in 1996 and tallied a 42-41 mark, including a school record-setting 16 wins last year in the program's first winning season ever.
"I'm really excited to be able to join Dan's staff at the University of Minnesota," said Petersen. "I'm respectful of the challenge that lies ahead, but very confident that we will be able to get the job done."
Walker has been the top assistant coach at Central Missouri State University for the past three years. His teams have posted a record of 51-33, including a 21-6 mark in 1996-97. Prior to his stint at Central Missouri, he was an assistant at the University of Missouri at St. Louis for eight years. The 1991-92 team set a school record for wins with a 22-6 mark. Walker signed a player that was named to the all-freshman team each of the last five seasons, two of which were freshman of the year. His sister Barbara is the associate athletics director at Wake Forest and his father Floyd was the athletics director at Central Missouri State University.
"This is a tremendous opportunity to be able to compete at the very highest level in the Big Ten Conference, and also to work with Dan, a head coach that I have the utmost respect for both as a coach and as a person," said Walker. "I'm looking forward to doing the best possible job that I can for the University of Minnesota."
