Talk to me about Jim Walden

[cyclones500]

If my quick research is correct, Walden is one of only two Iowa State coaches to defeat both Nebraska and Oklahoma.

The other: Clay Stapleton -- who did it in the same season (1960) (Asterisk: An oddity in the historic sense, both NU and OU had losing records that season).

 

[ISUATC]

I like Walden. He had probably the best special teams in America. But he had no resources or support from the administration.

Coach Fabris was a great special teams coach and man. Both traits followed him wherever he went. One of my favorite coaches during my time at ISU.

 

[CycloneRulzzz]

He also had the "fans plan" where he would make I think one call based on a submission from the fans. Would be a hoot now with all these message boards warriors who think they could do better.

 

[heitclone]

He and Johnny were a good duo,the Bartles and James spoofs were great, this poster was on our basement bathroom wall for well over a decade.

 

[dafarmer]

Personable and a funny guy, decent coach until the wheels fell off. Facilities and money to recruit didn't help. Still have the poster of him and Johnny doing a take-off on the Bartle's wine commercial.

 

[cyclones500]

Can someone find and post these?

I always remember the Bartles & Jaymes take-off the two did, but I can't find video of it (maybe those were print-only) .. But here's a promo video montage I don't think I've seen until now (multiple segments)--- super-cheesy but nostalgically endearing. (Sorta ).

 

[ISUEmbassy]

Troy didn't play because he didn't know the plays.

Coach Walden is one of the nicest, funniest guys I have been around. Went on a fishing trip to Canada two years ago and he was part of our group. Kept everybody dying laughing with (inappropriate) joke after joke.

 

[Drew0311]

Btw Criner could coach but could not recruit to Iowa State. He went on to coach in the Workd Football League and won the championship. That was an old league overseas that kind of served as the NFL minor league.


The Bartles and James commercials that Johnny and Jim Walden recreated were fantastic.

 

[NenoFone]

He also had the "fans plan" where he would make I think one call based on a submission from the fans. Would be a hoot now with all these message boards warriors who think they could do better.

I submitted a "Fan's Plan". Too long ago to remember, but it was some sort of triple option fake flea-flicker. I did not get selected.

 

[CycloneErik]

Btw Criner could coach but could not recruit to Iowa State. He went on to coach in the Workd Football League and won the championship. That was an old league overseas that kind of served as the NFL minor league.


The Bartles and James commercials that Johnny and Jim Walden recreated were fantastic.

I watched the first broadcast of a WLAF game.
One of their innovative ideas was a mic in the QBs helmet. That ended after game 1 when the QBs burst out special words when he finally noticed a LB blitz that was about to kill him.

 

[madguy30]

He also had the "fans plan" where he would make I think one call based on a submission from the fans. Would be a hoot now with all these message boards warriors who think they could do better.

That's what I'm talking about--that's absolutely bananas for a D1 head football coach to do something like that but it's what I like about Walden.

 

[qwerty]

Didn't he beat Oklahoma also. If I recall correctly, I went to the Des Moines Airport to greet him and the team coming back from the OU win. He and Johnny Orr were a hoot together, made some great commercials.

The Gambler and The Dealer. Those were great commercials.

 

[LindenCy]

Some Walden game highlights (if you click on the link it will go to a playlist):

 

[JM4CY]

This is really fun guy. Keep them coming. I still can’t believe that AstroTurf

 

[JM4CY]

I always remember the Bartles & Jaymes take-off the two did, but I can't find video of it (maybe those were print-only) .. But here's a promo video montage I don't think I've seen until now (multiple segments)--- super-cheesy but nostalgically endearing. (Sorta ).

That is one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen.

 

[cycloneML]

Not to hijack my own thread, but I’ve heard about that. What exactly did Criner do?

Paid players

 

[madguy30]

He was able to dig his way out of Criner's mess before creating his own.

Almost ended the Iowa streak in year 2 ('88).

Year 3 ('89) was a 6-5 season, which would be an automatic bowl game now. Probably would have been 7-4 and a shoe-in for a bowl had Shudak not gotten suspended.

Year 4 ('90) was set up with Pedersen and Bryant returning, but they both got hurt at Minnesota (4-point loss) and both missed the Iowa game (10-point loss). Those two losses, along with the tie against Kansas, kind of derailed the season. Oklahoma wasn't OKLAHOMA in that era, but it was still a road win over a ranked team.

Switched to the option in '91.

'92 had the first loss to UNI along with the Marv Seiler game. Both were inexplicable. The NU win probably saved his job.

The comeback home win over ranked KSU in '93 almost offset another oh-so-close game against Iowa.

And then 1994 happened.

He went 6-5 one year (I think 1989) with Blaise Bryant as RB. Obviously now that would get you to a bowl game, but not back then.

FWIW, Bryant was an underrated running back who was fun to watch. As I remember, he was actually back for the 2011 Oklahoma State game.

Walden was a good guy who didn't have much of a shot at winning here.

It's kinda interesting--ISU is looked at as a tire fire in the 80's but they were 6-5 three times from 1980-1989, which would have been bowl games today, and several 4-5 win seasons that included the close and weird losses or out of nowhere wins that we've continued to see since. They were not good, but not a total disaster the whole time either.

 

[CycloneRulzzz]

I always remember the Bartles & Jaymes take-off the two did, but I can't find video of it (maybe those were print-only) .. But here's a promo video montage I don't think I've seen until now (multiple segments)--- super-cheesy but nostalgically endearing. (Sorta ).

The outfits of the pop squad girls and the big hair. Can definitely tell that was around the late 80's.

 

[everyyard]

No money, no AD support, good but not great fan support, Iowa riding their all time wave, came in with sanctions, had 6 wins but no bowl for that then, field was concrete with carpet with holes over it...never had a chance.

 

[CYISFLY]

Wasn’t Jeff Braswell ruled ineligible because of recruiting violations during the Crinrer era?