![\"Wally](\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Wally-Halas-headshot.avif\")
This fall, Clark will honor Halas with the dedication in his name of the \u201ccoach\u2019s box\u201d \u2014 the 38-foot-long rectangular space painted on the basketball floor inside which the coach must stand during games. The NCAA mandated the coach\u2019s box beginning in the 1984-85 season to prevent coaches from roaming too far along the sidelines, and straying beyond the boundaries can result in a technical foul. The Wally Halas Coach\u2019s Box \u2014 which will be inscribed with his signature \u2014 will remind current and future Clark coaches that their terrain in the Kneller gym is not endless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m deeply honored and humbled to be recognized with the coach\u2019s box,\u201d Halas says. \u201cIt\u2019s a uniquely Clark thing to do something slightly different than other schools, but a coach\u2019s box is appropriate. In front of the bench is where the hard work gets done \u2014 it\u2019s where you draw up a last-minute shot, and it\u2019s where you celebrate success with your players and coaches after a big win.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Halas notes with a laugh that the creation of the box was inspired by nomadic coaches like him, who roamed far and wide \u2014 sometimes a little too far and a little too wide \u2014 shouting out instructions, pointing out matchups, changing up defenses. \u201cIt was smart to establish the coach\u2019s box,\u201d he says. \u201cWe could do our work from inside there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Halas\u2019 teams vigorously protected their home court. \u201cWe always took great pride in playing well at home; we didn\u2019t want anyone beating us in the Kneller,\u201d he recalls. His teams held to that pledge. From 1977 to 1987, Halas says, the men\u2019s team went 108-8 inside the Kneller against Division 3 opponents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though he moved on from Clark to coach at Columbia and work in higher education development, currently as executive director for leadership gifts at Fairfield University, Halas has remained connected to his alma mater. Inducted into the Clark Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994, he\u2019s attended HOF induction ceremonies, reunions and commencements, alumni games, and special events, and has remained a presence in the lives of his former players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to the coach\u2019s box, a plaque will be installed in the Kneller that recognizes Halas\u2019 accomplishments as athletic director, basketball coach (a record of 233-103 and 10 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances), baseball coach for seven years, and Clark student-athlete in baseball and basketball (1,448 career points). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Halas says the pursuit of excellence was universal at Clark \u201cand I wanted to do my part to bring distinction to the University.\u201d He credits his coaches and staff with creating a winning atmosphere, and a group of talented student-athletes with executing at a high level. This January, Halas organized a reunion of \u201cmy basketball family\u201d of players and coaches from the 1970s and \u201980s to reconnect and reminisce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was an opportunity to let these guys know just how good they were, and to thank them for all the gifts they brought to my life,\u201d he says. \u201cWe practiced hard on that court every day, and the coach\u2019s box is a shared honor with all of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Wally Halas led his teams to 10 consecutive NCAA tournaments during his tenure as men’s basketball coach (1974\u201387). This fall, Clark Athletics will dedicate the Kneller court \u201ccoach\u2019s box\u201d in his name.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":29465,"template":"","meta":{"story_color":"var(--clarku-color-deep-red)","story_headerImg":29465,"section_label":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[526],"displayed_author":[235],"featured":[494],"topic":[236,256,517],"class_list":["post-29466","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-athletics","displayed_author-jim-keogh","featured-secondary","topic-athletics","topic-awards-and-honors","topic-clark-athletics"],"yoast_head":"\n