BLACK & GOLD
Faculty Profile
KING COURT
OF THE
Vianney Coach Kevin Walsh ’91 Has Put The Griffin Basketball Program on the Map
T
Moving toward a higher standard for the
here was a time when Kevin
basketball program took time and buy-in
Walsh ’91 was a new teacher at
from the players.
Vianney. He recalls walking
“When we first started, basketball was
into the Faculty work room one
something other athletes did to stay in
day and seeing people like Don
shape during the winter. Now, we have
Heeb, Jim Farrell, Jerry Boeckman, Larry
guys who are committed to becoming
Furrer, Charlie Walsh, and others in the
better basketball players,” Walsh said. “We
room.
spend a lot of time in the summer and in
“I thought to myself, wow, these guys are
the offseason developing our program and
the legends of Vianney,” he said. “And I just
the players responded well.”
went from a student of theirs to a colleague
The 2000s were very good to Walsh and
of theirs.”
Vianney basketball. From 2002-06, the
Today, the walk to the faculty room still
Griffins won five district championships in
brings him down memory lane, but the faces
a row, and reached the state quarterfinals
have changed.
in 2004 and 2006.
‘Now, I see people on staff who were
It was during that span that Walsh
students that I taught,” he said. “People like
realized this group at Vianney - the
(alumni-teachers and staff) Jeremy Remiger
players, their families, the fans - were a
’98, Tom Mulvihill ’04, Nate Stein ’03, Mark
special group of people who were only
Schuermann ’03, and James Gladstone ’09
limited by their own vision and desire.
- those are all guys I taught at one time. I
“We told our kids that the harder they
realized it has gone 180 degrees for me.”
worked, the results would come. And in
Walsh, a social studies teacher and the head
the course of five years, we did have the
boy’s varsity basketball coach, is as much of a
results we worked so hard to achieve.”
fixture at Vianney as the Griffin itself. He’s
In 2005, after losing key scorers - Paul
been part of Vianney as a teacher and coach
Paradoski and Brandon Beal, both of the
since 1995. He graduated in 1991, went to
Kevin Walsh ’91 gets emotional after the
Class of 2004, and who both combined for
Fontbonne University, where he played
Griffins advanced to the Final Four.
2,000 points in their Vianney careers, not
basketball all four years. Upon graduation, he
much was expected of the Griffins. But Walsh had other plans and
returned to Vianney, taking a job as a teacher and then assistant on
didn’t buy into the skepticism,
the boys’ basketball team. He spent five years as an assistant, then
“We ended up winning 18 games that year, took the District title,
took the head coaching job in 2000. He has never looked back.
and it was all because of the work ethic our guys had.”
“In those early years when I took over, I was practically a kid myself
That year, his seniors adopted a team motto, “Find a Way.” Each
- I was 25 years old,” he said. “I was very fortunate to have a group of
season, Walsh and the team adopt a new motto - a rallying cry of
great men who served as my mentors. There were people like Charlie
sorts. Last year was the first time he allowed a previous team motto
Walsh at Vianney, and other coaches in the Metro Catholic
to be used - “Find a Way.”
Conference. People like Bob Steiner at DeSmet and Don Maurer
“Last year’s team reminded me so much of the 2005 group, so the
who at the time was the coach at SLUH. They all reached out to me
team theme was appropriate to use again.”
and helped me get better as a teacher, and a coach and as a leader.”
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FALL 2013
After going 27-2 in 2011-12 and
graduating eight seniors, Vianney’s
team made history by finding ways to
win key games. Led by seniors Sean
O’Brien and Brad Woodson, among
others, Vianney knocked off McCluer
North in the state quarterfinals to earn
its first-ever trip to Columbia, MO for
a berth in the Final Four. Though
Vianney lost to conference rival and
eventual state runner-up, DeSmet
58-55, the program had jumped a very
important hurdle. Vianney basketball
was a force.
In the ever important youth camp
scene, Kevin Walsh has slowly built an
empire of sorts. The first year at
Vianney, the youth summer camps
drew seven players - “and two of them
were Charlie Walsh’s kids,” he
recounted, laughing.
Today, his camps have grown in
numbers and in the number of weeks
he provides. Each year, hundreds of
grade school players gain access to
Vianney’s campus and see all the
Kevin Walsh has brought personality and a winning tradition to Vianney basketball and Leadership
classes. Here, he dons pink for the annual Paint It Pink game at the Scottrade Center last season.
school has to offer. This past summer,
he had 500 players completely fill all
four weeks of his summer camp.
To be able to make all this work at Vianney takes a caring family
“I get a kick out of going to the store and seeing a kid wearing one
who supports the school, and a family that understands the unique
of the Vianney camp shirts or going to a game and seeing kids with
mission of the school - the dedication to spiritual, academic, and
the Vianney water bottles. To me, that’s getting out into the
personal excellence and the pervasive family spirit for which
community and that’s what these camps are all about - to get kids
Vianney is known. He credits his wife, Jill, a former Vianney staff
interested in coming to Vianney.”
member, and his three children - sons Luke (age 6), Justin (1 year)
To characterize Kevin Walsh as a gym rat only is missing a major
and daughter, Abby (4 years old) with allowing him to share his life
part of his story. He’s a teacher first, and the classroom is his domain.
with the black and gold of Vianney.
“I love being in the classroom. To be a good coach, you
“They all really understand what Vianney is all about and that
have to be a good teacher or the kids won’t respect you.”
support makes it possible,” he said.
Walsh played a key role along with former Principal Larry Keller
Looking back at his time at the school - the only teaching and
in adding Leadership Courses to the curriculum. The first year,
coaching job he’s ever had - he eagerly accepts the changes the school
Walsh taught a single course. Today, developing leaders is part of
is continually going through. He knows Vianney is always trying to
Vianney’s brand and a there are six leadership courses offered to
get better in every way.
students at every level.
“A lot has changed at Vianney over the past 25 years since I
“The leadership course has been one of the best things I’ve ever
graduated, but there are a lot of things that have stayed the same. The
done as an educator because it is a way for us to help kids get
teachers cared about us then and wanted to help us get better as men
comfortable with who they are, let’s them feel comfortable with
back then, and that is still true today. Teachers then and now both
taking some risks, and forces them to grow into men.”
went out of their way to make sure our experiences here were
He laughs when he thinks of James Gladstone ’09 - a former
top-notch, and I love that about Vianney.”
leadership student of his who now teaches one of the leadership
courses. That’s another aspect of Walsh’s Vianney life coming full
If you would like to make a donation to Vianney in honor of Kevin
circle.
Walsh, send it to Pete Cerone ’93, Director of Advancement. You can
call Pete at (314) 965-4853 ext. 118 if you have any questions.
Follow Vianney on Twitter @vianneygriffins.com
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