By Cade Kennedy, Sports Editor
After eight years and seven seasons, Matt Walter resigned as the head coach of the Northwestern football team Nov. 16.
Walter had a record of 23-54 during his time at Northwestern. The Rangers finished with one win this season. The 1-10 record gave the Rangers their worst season since 1975, when Northwestern also went 1-10.
With the search for a new head coach underway, the Rangers will have their third head coach since joining the NCAA in 2012. Few other details about the search were provided.
Walter declined to comment for this story.
Walter started his coaching career in 2001, when he became the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Rangers after playing for Northwestern.
He was a member of the team that won the NAIA National
Championship in 1999. In two years, Walter worked his way up to the NCAA level by taking the assistant strength and conditioning coach job at Louisiana Tech in 2003.
After a short stint in Ruston, Louisiana, Walter took a new job at Southeastern Louisiana. After a few seasons of being an assistant coach, he became the head strength and conditioning coach, according to the Northwestern News archives.
One year later, Walter left the state of Louisiana to become the head strength and conditioning coach for New Mexico State.
Walter moved once again in 2010, when he took on the roles of special teams coordinator, wide receiver coach and head strength coach at Emporia State. Two years later, he became the offensive coordinator for the Hornets and helped lead them to their first 10-win season in school history.
RETURNING TO ALVA
In 2015, Walter returned to Northwestern as the head coach of the program as the Rangers looked to compete in the Great American Conference. In Walter’s first season at Northwestern, the Rangers got off to a rough start. Northwestern finished the season with a record of 3-8.
The Rangers showed signs of improvement in 2016, but Northwestern faced the same problem as it did the prior season. After a 59-56 win over Arkansas-Monticello, the Rangers lost three games in a row.
Northwestern ended the season with a 4-7 record.
The best season in the Walter era occurred in 2017, when the Rangers achieved a record of 5-6. This was the first five-win season for Northwestern since 2010. The Rangers had several chances to achieve a winning season but lost four games by one possession.
Northwestern regressed for the first time under Walter in 2018, as the Rangers once again had four losses by one possession. The Rangers got off to a slow start, as they won one of their first five games. The Rangers went 4-7 that season.
Neither progression nor regression occurred in 2019, but the Rangers had a five-game losing streak during the second half the season. The Rangers went 4-7 once again, with more scores becoming lopsided.
When 2021 rolled around, every team in Division II had the same problem. No one played the year prior, so it would take some time to readjust to the grind of the gridiron. Northwestern took blow after blow from multiple teams during a seven-game losing streak to start the season. The season ended on a positive note as the Rangers beat Southwestern to go 2-9.
The same could not be said for the 2022 season. Northwestern battled injuries throughout the year. The Rangers had another slow start before defeating Arkansas-Monticello, the only game the Rangers won.
The Rangers failed to win a home game for the first time as a member of the Great American Conference and finished the season with a 1-10 record.
OFFICIALS RESPOND
“We appreciate all of the hard work that Matt and his staff has put into the program,” Athletic Director Brad Franz said in a statement. “He’s worked every day to be a champion on and off the field and his work is much appreciated. We will continue to work to elevate the program to contend in the Great American Conference.”
Northwestern President Dr. Bo Hannaford said: “Coach Walter will always be a valued member of the Northwestern Oklahoma State University family. Matt is a graduate and a former outstanding player, and I appreciate his time and effort toward our football program. We will now concentrate on finding the best candidate to lead our football program and our student-athletes.”