Bart Walker Named NJCAA Coach of the Year

NICEVILLE, Fla. – Fresh off an NJCAA National Championship, Northwest Florida State head coach Bart Walker has been named NJCAA Women's Basketball Coach of the Year, the association announced on Thursday. 

Walker led NWF to the program's first-ever NJCAA Women's Basketball National Title with a 67-60 victory over Trinity Valley on April 24.

In his 15 seasons as a head coach, Walker has led four different programs to the NJCAA National Tournament including three trips with Northwest Florida.

The Raiders advanced to the Elite Eight in 2018 and 2019 and earned the No. 3 seed in the 2020 tournament before it was called off due to COVID-19.

Under Walker in 2021, Northwest Florida finished 24-2 and were ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA and World Exposure Report national polls for several weeks. The Raiders two losses came by one point to then-No. 3 Chipola and six points to No. 16 Gulf Coast.

In the national tournament, the Raiders defeated Otero, South Plains, and Three Rivers, before knocking off Trinity Valley in the title game.

For his career, Walker has posted a 346-95 record and a 140-34 mark at NWF. He was named 2021 Panhandle Conference Coach of the Year and had five players named to the All-Panhandle Conference Team as well as Chanaya Pinto, who was named an NJCAA All-American.

For more information on Northwest Florida State Athletics, visit NWFRaiders.com or follow the team on Twitter at @NWFRaiders.