Former Iowa State football coach Jim Walden died on Thursday, July 2, the school announced. He was 88 years old.
Walden led the Cyclones from 1987 to 1994 and finished his tenure with a record of 28-57-3. He was most fondly known for helping revive Iowa State football after NCAA infractions by the previous coaching staff limited the number of scholarships the program was allowed to offer. He also oversaw some pretty major upsets during his time in Ames.
In 1990, Iowa State went on the road and took down No. 16 Oklahoma in a tight 33-31 matchup. It marked the school’s first win over the Sooners since 1961. Walden’s group also defeated No. 18 Kansas State in 1993.
But most notably, Walden oversaw what is arguably the biggest upset in Iowa State history. In 1992, Iowa State hosted No. 7 Nebraska and defeated the high-powered Cornhuskers, 19-10, and held their potent offense to just 246 yards.
Walden coached five All-Americans during his time in Ames — Blaise Bryant Mike Busch, Gene Williams, Doug Skartvedt and Troy Davis. He also coached Keith Sims and Marcus Robertson at ISU, both of whom went on to become All-Pros in the NFL.
He came to Ames following success as a head coach at Washington State, racking up a 44-52-4 record with the Cougars, winning Pac-10 Coach of the Year twice. He guided WSU to its first bowl game in 51 years with an 8-3-1 campaign in 1981. He was inducted into the Washington State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.
The Aberdeen, Mississippi, native played quarterback at Wyoming, leading the Cowboys to two conference titles. He helped Wyoming earn a trip to the 1958 Sun Bowl and won Skyline Conference Player of the Year in 1959. He was inducted into the Wyoming Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011.
Before getting into coaching, he played three years in the Canadian Football League from 1960 to 62.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Former Iowa State football coach Jim Walden dies
