MVB’s Joel Walton Announces Retirement; 23rd Season To Be His Last
November 23, 2020 | Men's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - One of the winningest coaches in NCAA men's volleyball history will lead Ball State's program for one more season. Head coach Joel Walton has announced he will retire following the completion of the 2021 season.
"I have decided to pursue a new path following this coming season," Walton said. "This is a move that my wife and I have contemplated for some time. For years, my family has supported me as a coach but now is the time to step back to enjoy them and become Ball State's biggest fan."
A two-time Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) Coach of the Year, Walton enters his 23rd and final season at the helm of the Cardinals ranked fourth among active NCAA men's volleyball head coaches (Divisions I, II or III) with 403 career wins, owning an overall record of 403-230 (.637). One of only 13 head coaches in NCAA men's volleyball history to reach 400 career wins, Walton is currently 12th on the list and has the potential to climb higher during the upcoming season.
"I want to express my gratitude for the support Ball State University men's volleyball alumni, friends, supporters and fans have given me over the past 22 years," Walton continued. "I appreciate the many University and department leaders who have provided me the opportunity to lead this prominent program for more than two decades."
Ball State fans have seen Walton's Cardinals boast a winning record in 20 of his 22 seasons, including 20-or-more victories in nine of those years. His teams have been just as strong in league play, compiling a 193-106 (.645) MIVA ledger. Walton led Ball State to both the MIVA regular season and tournament titles in 2002, and has had the Cardinals ranked in the top three of the final league standings 16 times. His 2002 squad also earned a berth into the NCAA Tournament, where it lost to No. 1 Pepperdine in the national semifinal match.
Walton's student-athletes have been just as successful, earning at total of 11 All-America honors under his tutelage, including 2002 AVCA All-America First Team selection Paul Fasshauer. His players have also claimed All-MIVA honors a total of 72 times, including 32 first team awards. Academically, Ball State has earned the AVCA Team Academic Award in each of the last five seasons and its student-athletes have claimed Academic All-MIVA honors nearly 200 times.
"Ball State Athletics is grateful for Coach Walton's contributions to the University as a student-athlete and coach," Ball State Director of Athletics Beth Goetz said. "The men's volleyball program has a storied history. Joel's more than 400 wins over 22 seasons as head coach, his efforts as an assistant and his achievements as a player write a significant chapter of that history."
Named the head coach of the Ball State men's volleyball program in June of 1998, Walton has dedicated the better part of the last four decades helping the Cardinals achieve success on the court. He first arrived in Muncie as a student-athlete, earning four letters (1985-88) and helping the program capture two league titles and make a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.
Three years later, Walton began an eight-year stint (1991-98) as an assistant coach under Dr. Don Shondell. During that time, he helped lead Ball State to three MIVA Championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances. Walton's primary responsibility during his eight seasons on Shondell's staff was recruiting coordinator. Over that period, he signed student-athletes who received All-America honors on eight occasions and All-MIVA recognition 13 times.
"I will continue to devote my professional attention and energy to having a successful final season," Walton concluded. "The University and the men's volleyball program will always remain close to my heart."
"I have decided to pursue a new path following this coming season," Walton said. "This is a move that my wife and I have contemplated for some time. For years, my family has supported me as a coach but now is the time to step back to enjoy them and become Ball State's biggest fan."
A two-time Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) Coach of the Year, Walton enters his 23rd and final season at the helm of the Cardinals ranked fourth among active NCAA men's volleyball head coaches (Divisions I, II or III) with 403 career wins, owning an overall record of 403-230 (.637). One of only 13 head coaches in NCAA men's volleyball history to reach 400 career wins, Walton is currently 12th on the list and has the potential to climb higher during the upcoming season.
"I want to express my gratitude for the support Ball State University men's volleyball alumni, friends, supporters and fans have given me over the past 22 years," Walton continued. "I appreciate the many University and department leaders who have provided me the opportunity to lead this prominent program for more than two decades."
Ball State fans have seen Walton's Cardinals boast a winning record in 20 of his 22 seasons, including 20-or-more victories in nine of those years. His teams have been just as strong in league play, compiling a 193-106 (.645) MIVA ledger. Walton led Ball State to both the MIVA regular season and tournament titles in 2002, and has had the Cardinals ranked in the top three of the final league standings 16 times. His 2002 squad also earned a berth into the NCAA Tournament, where it lost to No. 1 Pepperdine in the national semifinal match.
Walton's student-athletes have been just as successful, earning at total of 11 All-America honors under his tutelage, including 2002 AVCA All-America First Team selection Paul Fasshauer. His players have also claimed All-MIVA honors a total of 72 times, including 32 first team awards. Academically, Ball State has earned the AVCA Team Academic Award in each of the last five seasons and its student-athletes have claimed Academic All-MIVA honors nearly 200 times.
"Ball State Athletics is grateful for Coach Walton's contributions to the University as a student-athlete and coach," Ball State Director of Athletics Beth Goetz said. "The men's volleyball program has a storied history. Joel's more than 400 wins over 22 seasons as head coach, his efforts as an assistant and his achievements as a player write a significant chapter of that history."
Named the head coach of the Ball State men's volleyball program in June of 1998, Walton has dedicated the better part of the last four decades helping the Cardinals achieve success on the court. He first arrived in Muncie as a student-athlete, earning four letters (1985-88) and helping the program capture two league titles and make a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.
Three years later, Walton began an eight-year stint (1991-98) as an assistant coach under Dr. Don Shondell. During that time, he helped lead Ball State to three MIVA Championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances. Walton's primary responsibility during his eight seasons on Shondell's staff was recruiting coordinator. Over that period, he signed student-athletes who received All-America honors on eight occasions and All-MIVA recognition 13 times.
"I will continue to devote my professional attention and energy to having a successful final season," Walton concluded. "The University and the men's volleyball program will always remain close to my heart."
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