Guelph, Ont. (July 26, 2016) - Mark Walton will take over the Guelph Gryphons women's basketball program for the 2016-17 season, the Department of Athletics has announced.

Walton comes to Guelph after serving as an assistant coach of the women's basketball team at the University of New Hampshire (NCAA Division 1) in 2010-11. In that role Walton was responsible for player development, recruiting from Canada and Europe and tactical advice.

A proven leader in the coaching world he has consulted and mentored a number of coaches at the D1 level and assisted coaches and players from a number of local programs as well as Ontario Basketball and Canada Basketball.

"We are incredibly proud to announce Mark Walton as our women's basketball coach for this upcoming season," said Director of Athletics, Scott McRoberts. "Coach Walton's values align perfectly with those of our university community. His basketball IQ, personality and past coaching experience have well prepared him to lead this team and build a winning program. Most importantly, he genuinely wants to have a positive impact in the lives of our student-athletes and will make them better players and people."

Walton served as the head coach for Canada Basketball's National Elite Development Academy (NEDA) girls' team for two years from 2007 to 2009. During his tenure, the team became the first Canadian team to go undefeated on an international tour in France during March 2009. Additionally, a number of player's he's worked with have gone on to play for the Canadian National Team that will compete at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games including Natalie Achonwa, Michelle Plouffe and Katherine Plouffe.

Walton began his coaching and teaching career at Cathedral High School in Hamilton, Ont. He taught at Cathedral for 29 years and was the senior boys' basketball coach for 27 seasons, posting a 723-86 overall record and an impressive 100% graduation rate. During that period, he guided Cathedral to three league and OFSAA championships (1984, '94 and '98), after going undefeated and garnering the No. 1 ranking in the country in each of those three seasons.

He served as a teacher from 1972-2001, specializing in English, Law, Special and Physical education. He was the head of the Special Education department from 1976 to 1981 and then the head of the Cooperative Education department from 1982 to 2001.

No stranger to Guelph, Walton lettered three years for the Gryphons, earning his bachelors in 1972 and was inducted into the University of Guelph Hall of Fame in 1985. He was named a two-year OUAA All-Star and team MVP in 1970-71 and 1971-72 and was the first Gryphon to score 1,000 points in the history in the program.

"It feels wonderful to be coming back to the University of Guelph, I could use words like elated and awesome but it would only represent 5% of how excited I am for this opportunity," said Walton. "My coaching philosophy is to have fun, learn every day and work hard; it's really that simple."

Walton has been a guest clinician/speaker throughout Canada and the United States, featured at Penn State Men's Coaching Clinic, Syracuse University and Canisius College. He is the founder and director of Metro Basketball Camp Inc., Canada's first basketball day camp since 1984 and The Coaching Clinic, an international bi-annual coaching clinic for male and female coaches from 1988-2003; then revived in 2013.

"Mark has been a winner in every phase of his career," Intercollegiate Manager, Angela Orton said. "He is a Hall of Fame player and reached immense success as a high school coach and also as a basketball mentor and consultant across North America."

Walton will start working with the Gryphons immediately and the team is set to open their OUA 2016-17 regular season on Saturday, November 5th at Western; the home opener in the Gryphons new Athletic Centre will take place on Saturday, November 12th against the Queen's Gaels at 6:00 p.m.

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