The last time we heard in detail about Bridgeport High School graduate Michael Walker on Connect-Bridgeport was back in 2019. It was at that time he received the highest honors a graduate can receive – he was inducted into the Bridgeport High School Alumni & Friends Hall of Fame.

 

Getting into that very elite group is no small feat. And as one of the youngest members to be inducted, it showed Walker had accomplished plenty during and since walking the halls of the school along Johnson Avenue.

 

While a standout student and all-around good person from an equally good family tree, Walker made it into the BHS Hall of Fame for what he did on the athletic front. And that was being dominant as a swimmer at Bridgeport High and graduating in 2005, and West Virginia University and then as a coach in the same sport.

 

We will get back to his past shortly. Before that, however, we need to tell you why we are here in this blog today.

 

Michael Walker, the son of William “Chet” Walker (BHS class of 1978) and Barbara, has made a move up the coaching ladder. Although already coaching at a solid Division I program as an assistant at Delaware, Walker has made a bit of a jump.

 

After five seasons with the Blue Hens, Walker has officially made the move to College Station. He is now an assistant coach with Texas A&M University.

 

The move to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a long one. In fact, the time to travel between the two campuses by car is listed as being just short of 23 hours and covering 1,516 miles.

 

So, how did he learn about the position?

 

“The associate coach there Jason Calanog was a coach while I was swimming at WVU. We also worked together at the Bolles School in Jacksonville,” said Walker. “We were at a pro swim series outside of Chicago earlier this year and discussed that A&M was adding a position to their staff, and then it went from there.”

 

From Delaware, which he described as an amazing first experience at the Division I level, to a program in the SEC that Walker said is on the rise. He said the Aggies are consistently scoring and placing in the top 25 at the national championship level and has also been a visitor to the top 10 rankings.

 

“It’s very exciting to work at a university the size of Texas A&M and that level of a program,” said Walker.

 

The journey leading him to College Station started on Bridgeport’s Main Street. Actually, on the pool deck at the Bridgeport City Pool where he began swimming for the Bridgeport Wildcatters swim club at age five.

 

By the time he was in high school, he was breaking school records and winning state championships – multiple state championships. He was dominant enough he drew the attention of WVU, and the dominance continued in Morgantown.

 

Walker was a team captain and member of the 2007 Big East Championship team. Walker was the Big East Champion in the 200 back-stroke in 2008 and 400 IM in 2008 and 2009. He was also an NCAA All-American in 2009 and a 2008 Olympic Trial Qualifier in the 200 breaststroke, 200 IM and 400 IM. Ironically, he competed in his senior year at the NCAA National Championship in College Station.

 

From there, the coaching journey began with his first stop at the Bolles School mentioned above where he joined former WVU Head Coach Sergio Lopez Miro. For five years, Walker served as an assistant before becoming the head coach of the Guatemalan National Swim Team at the Guatemala Aquatic Federation. Walker spent two years in Guatemala. He served as the head coach for the Guatemalan National team during the 2015 Pan American Games and the 2015 FINA World Championships.

 

Despite enjoying the international aspect, he opted to return stateside and to West Virginia in 2016. That year, he served as the head coach of the Fairmont Area Swim Team and coached for two seasons before making his move to Delaware where he assisted, eventually becoming the associate head coach, the men’s and women’s swim team. At Texas A&M, he will be coaching the men only.

 

What would have been an automatic decision to head to Texas years ago, was not the case this time. Instead, Walker had others involved in the decision-making process.

 

“I’ll be married (wife Brooke) for four years this November and we have a one-year-old (Hendricks) and they figure into everything. This was a family decision,” he said. “Those past moves, when I went as far away as Guatemala, it was easier because I only had to ask myself. Now, I am not trying to put myself in the best possible situation, but my family in the best possible situation.

 

“Even a right decision can be a difficult decision. We have grandparents and family, totally supportive of us, who were a car ride away to see us and our son who now are looking at a plane ride,” he said. “Even with that, our family has been nothing but supportive.”

 

For Walker, the coaching lifestyle is not a flash in the pan. He’s been doing it since leaving WVU and plans on doing it for the rest of his career. As one might imagine, he has future goals.

 

“Moving up and eventually being a head coach and running your own program, absolutely, is a goal. Even with that, the reason I coach and love it and have at any level from college, club, or professional and whether as an assistant or a head coach, is being around the athletes,” Walker said. “Watching the athletes grow and progress keeps me coming back.

 

“Sure, head coaching is ultimately where I want to be,” he continued. “In between then and now, it’s about relationships with colleagues, co-workers, and especially the student-athlete.”

 

In the event you may have thought you have seen the once former student-athlete, former state champion and All-American in Bridgeport in recent days, chances are good you have. Walker is in town getting his affairs in order before making the move to the Lonestar State.

 

While that has been a commitment, Walker also found time to do a coaching clinic at The Citynet Center where his sister Ali Walker is a director and coach. He said it was a great experience.

 

“This is where I grew up. Coming back and giving back to the community that gave to me and helping the next generation of swimmers was great,” said Walker. “Many of the children I saw during the clinic were children of friends I grew up with. Not only did it make me feel good to see the swim culture is still thriving, but it also made me realize how things have come full circle.”

 

Editor's Note: Top photo, courtesy of BHS Journalism, shows walker competing in the backstroke during his senior year, while he is shown in the next photo competing at WVU. The side by side photo shows Walker, left, while a student at WVU and on the right in his new position as an assistant coach at Texas A&M. After that, Walker is shown working during his coaching stint at Delaware (photo courtesy of Delaware Athletics), and that is followed with Walker, far right, shown with coaching clinic friends in Bridgeport, from left, Tim Stallings, Randy Keener, and Patrick Fubio. WVU photos courtesy of WVU Sports Communications, while photo of Walker at the Citynet Center courtesy of Ashley Wilson McClain. Bottom photo shows Walker with his wife and son. Photo courtesy of Michael Walker.