Jeff Walz reaches 350 wins at Louisville

In his 13th season, women's basketball head coach reaches milestone

Jeff Walz reached a milestone as Louisville women’s basketball defeated Virginia 71-56 at the KFC Yum! Center Jan. 23. The Cardinals 11 straight win was the head coach’s 350 victory in his career, all coming at Louisville.

Walz said the program has been successful because the players have been spectacular.

"We not only have really good basketball players, we have great young women," Walz said. "We have done nothing but represent this university and city with nothing but class."

Angel McCoughtry, who was the number one overall pick in the WNBA draft in 2009, helped lead Louisville to its first Final Four in Walz’s second season. Shoni Schimmel starred on Louisville’s run to the national championship game in 2013 while Asia Durr was one of the nation’s best players in 2018 as the Cardinals reached the Final Four for the third time.

“At the end of the day, players win games. Coaches get way too much credit for wins. I always laugh because we get way too much blame for losses,” Walz said. “The players are the ones that step up and make the plays. Our jobs are to try to put them in situations where they can have success.”

Walz became the program’s winningest coach in 2013-14. He has 11 20-win seasons and surpassed 30 wins in a season four times.

Walz credited his coaching staff throughout his 13 seasons at Louisville, saying a great staff makes things easier.

“I have been very blessed to work with a great staff,” Walz said. “I have been very fortunate to have some wonderful people that I have had the opportunity to work with.”