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Brad Walker is a well-known pole vaulter who was once regarded as among the finest in the world. In October 2015, Walker, a nine-time USA track and field pole vault champion, started working as an assistant coach for pole vault and high jump at Washington State University.
After seeing two of his protégés compete for gold at the Women’s Pole Vaulting World Championships, Brad was awarded the 2022 USA Track & Field Nike Coach of the Year on December 3.
Who is Brad Walker?
American pole vaulter Brad Walker was born on June 21, 1981 in Aberdeen, South Dakota. He held the American record for the competition and won the world title in 2007.
Brad participated in football, basketball, and track and field competitions while attending University High School in Spokane Valley, Washington. Reg Hulbert was his track coach, and after his senior year, Walker received All-Greater Spokane League recognition. Walker earned a 3.89 GPA and graduated from University High School in 1999.
Brad Walker's career over the years
Walker received recognition for his academic achievements while still an undergraduate by being named to the 2003 CoSIDA/Verizon Academic All-America squad. In 2004, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration. Walker received the Pac-10 Medal for overall athletic and academic performance on behalf of the male gender.
Walker took home the silver medal with a 5.75, despite not being one of the favorites at the 2005 World Championships. Two weeks later in Rieti, he achieved a new personal best of 5.96. With a leap of 5.80 meters in 2006, he captured the World Indoor Championships in Moscow.
Brad Walker won the pole vault tournament in July 2006 at Jockgrim, Germany’s greatest performance of the year, with a clearance of 6 meters. On September 1, 2007, he took home the gold at the World Championships. Walker set a new personal best and American record with a 6.04 leap on June 8 in Eugene. He was able to compete in the 2008 Olympics but was unable to clear a height in the first round.
Walker kept his US championship crown in 2009, despite having a bye into the World Athletics Championships due to his standing as the current World Champion.
Brad Walker made it to the Olympics' final in 2012. However, with a 5.50m vault, he came in 12th.
Walker's coaching career
Brad Walker began teaching Katie Nageotte in 2018 while he was an assistant coach at Washington State University and she served as a volunteer assistant for the Cougars. Over the years, Brad and Sandi Morris have engaged in a titanic struggle. He took Sandi under his wing in 2020.
Morris prevailed in eight of their nine meetings, including the March World Indoor Championship in Serbia. Nageotte came in second place. Nageotte, the current Olympic champion for the 2020 Tokyo Games, earned World Outdoor gold in Eugene, Oregon, in July. Silver went to Morris.
Walker was awarded 2022 USA Track & Field Nike Coach of the Year on December 3. Part of the USATF announcement in Walker's honor read,
“When athletes you coach take the top two spots in a single event at the year’s two global championships, something is definitely going right.
