Wally Morton
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- Position:
- Head Coach
Take one glance at the Cleveland State record book and it's easy to sum up Wally Morton's 35-year career in a single word - successful.
And with long-time success comes an elevated set of challenges and expectations. For the first 27 years of his career with the Vikings, Morton served as the head coach of the men's swimming and diving team. In 2007-08, he added the women's programs to his resume as well as the new title Director of Competitive Aquatics. The 2008-09 season will be his 28th with the men's program and his second with the women's team. Prior to being named the team's head coach in 1981, he served eight years as an assistant coach with the Vikings.
During his tenure with the Viking men, Morton's success is backed up by a 241-133-1 (.644) dual meet record that includes nine Penn-Ohio Championships, a pair of MCC titles, a Horizon League Championship and an impressive 24 seasons with a .500 or better record. In his career, Morton has qualified four athletes for the NCAA Championships, including back-to-back appearances by Jakub Dobies in 2007 and 2008. In one season at the helm of the women's program, his squad improved its dual meet record resulting in more swimmers reaching the Horizon League finals than the previous year.
The women's program has a bright future given what Morton has accomplished with the men. His Viking men's squads have recorded at least 10 wins in seven straight seasons, compiling a 76-24 record during that span. In 1996-97, CSU also tied the school record for victories in a season with a 14-4 mark, originally set in 1946-47.
The 2005-06 Horizon League Coach of the Year, Morton directed the Viking men to back-to-back Midwestern Collegiate Conference titles in 1998 and 1999 and was named the MCC Coach of the Year in 1997 and 1999. He was named the Coach of the Year of the Penn-Ohio Conference six times, including three straight seasons from 1984-86.
But there are other numbers that back up Morton's success on the pool deck. During his career he has led countless swimmers to the United States Senior Swimming Nationals and four to the NCAA Championships. His success has also translated internationally with Nedim Nisic competing in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Two more of his CSU swimmers have gone on to be Olympic Trials finalists.
Morton joined the CSU staff in 1974 as the Aquatic Director of the brand-new CSU Natatorium while also serving as an assistant coach with the swim team. He was named the head coach of the CSU program in 1981 following the retirement of coaching legend Bob Busbey and has brought regional and national prominence to Cleveland State.
His responsibilities have not been limited to coaching. Morton has been extensively involved in event management for 38 national and international aquatic events as the University's Acquatics Director and has has overseen four NCAA Division I Championships and many regional and international competitions hosted by Cleveland State.
Thanks to his vast experience in coaching and hosting championship swimming events, Morton has become a well-known face in the swimming world allowing for international recruiting. In his tenure, he has successfully recruited athletes from Australia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Canada, England, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia & Montenegro, South Africa, Spain and Sweden to CSU.
A 1970 Miami (Ohio) graduate, Morton was a member of back-to-back Mid-American Conference championship swim teams in 1966 and 1967.
The winningest coach is Cleveland State Swimming history, Morton credits his successful coaching career to his two great influences - Tom Patton of the Dover, Ohio YMCA and former USA Olympic coach Bob Busbey, who Morton had the privilege to serve under for his first eight years with the Vikings.
In addition to his duties with the swim teams, Morton is also a faculty member in CSU's Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Department.
Morton and his wife, Carol, a professor at Baldwin-Wallace, have one son, Robert. They reside in Strongsville, Ohio.
