Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Basketball Mourns The Loss of Royce Waltman
4/8/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
April 8, 2014
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Former Indiana University assistant men's basketball coach and current IU Radio Network men's basketball analyst Royce Waltman, 72, passed away Monday evening.
A native of Cumberland, Md., Waltman came to Indiana in the fall of 1982 to serve on Bob Knight's staff as an assistant coach. He spent five years on the Hoosier bench and was a member of the staff in 1986-87 when IU won the national championship.
Waltman went on to become the head coach at DePauw where he spent five seasons and led them to the 1990 NCAA III title game. In 1992, be came the head coach at the University of Indianapolis guiding the Division II Greyhounds to 103 wins and two NCAA Tournament berths. On two occasions, UIndy was ranked No. 1 in the country during his tenure. He then moved to Indiana State in 1998 and spent 10 seasons with the Sycamores leading them to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2000 and 2001.
Waltman finished with a career head coaching record of 337-263 (.562).
He was a 1964 graduate of Slippery Rock where he lettered in basketball and baseball. He spent 18 years as a high school head coach and teacher at Bedford (Pa.) High School where he was 277-113 and won 11 league titles and seven district crowns.
Waltman became an analyst for the IU Radio Network at the start of the 2010-11 season and continued in that capacity before taking a leave in mid-December. He received a standing ovation, in what was his last game behind the microphone, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse prior to the Crossroads Classic featuring Indiana and Notre Dame.
Head Coach Tom Crean commenting on the passing of former IU assistant coach and color analyst for IU Radio Network.
Head Coach Tom Crean on Royce Waltman
"In just learning of the passing of Coach Waltman, we have profound sadness and feel for his wife, Carole, and everyone in his family. Royce was a very special person who gave so much to the game of basketball and without question impacted everyone he coached, worked with and supported. His knowledge of the game and ability to teach it was only eclipsed by the way he made you feel when you were with him. Personally, I respected him long before I came to Indiana. In getting to know Royce here, I was incredibly fortunate to have become his friend. The genuine respect he would impart on me and the program was heartfelt and will always be remembered."
"The sign of this mans toughness was on our trip to New York when we played Washington and UConn in the Wounded Warrior project We all knew he was in pain and he went great lengths to not show it and stayed focused on his radio duties. It was another example of what made him a great leader, his poise under pressure and putting others before himself. Not only are my thoughts and prayers with Coach Waltman's family, but with people like Brad Brownell, Rick Ray, Dick Bender and the countless others who lost a father figure."
Don Fischer, "The Voice of the Hoosiers"
"Royce was one of these coaches that endeared himself to everybody, even those who he got angry with now and then. Everybody that knew him respected him and liked him. He was a terrific basketball coach but he was much more than that to everyone he knew. The time we spent with him on our broadcasts were absolutely special."
