Lori Walker-Hock

E-mail Coach Walker-Hock

2001, 2010 and 2017 Big Ten Coach of the Year
2002 Big Ten Tournament Outstanding Coach
2009 NSCAA Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year
2021 Inducted into the Long Island Soccer Player Hall of Fame

Now in her 26th season at the helm of Ohio State women’s soccer, head coach Lori Walker-Hock has established that Ohio State will contend in the Big Ten and nationally on an annual basis. The North Carolina graduate and three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year has led the Buckeyes to 15 NCAA Tournament appearances in the last 20 years, most recently in 2021 spring and fall seasons.

Walker-Hock Accomplishments

• 271 wins
• Three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year
• 15 NCAA Tournament Appearances
• NCAA College Cup Semifinalist
• Two Big Ten Regular Season titles
• Three Big Ten Tournament titles
• 11 All-Americans
• 10 professional players
• Seven NSCAA/United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Americans

Walker-Hock is one of just two coaches in Ohio State women’s soccer history as she took over a four-year-new program in 1997 and has been establishing it as a contender in the Big Ten Conference and nationally ever since.

Ohio State has made 15 NCAA Tournament appearances under Walker, including 11 appearances in the last 13 years: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021(spring) and 2021 (fall).

Her 2004 team set a program record with 19 victories, and it advanced to the national quarterfinals. Her 2010 team won 17 games and made the program’s first NCAA College Cup.

Ohio State has won two Big Ten Conference championships under Walker-Hock, in 2010 and 2017, and it has advanced to five Big Ten tournament championship games, winning titles in 2002, 2004 and 2012. The Buckeyes have won 121 Big Ten games under Walker-Hock, the third-most Big Ten wins for a conference head coach all-time. Only two other coaches have won at least 100 Big Ten matches.

Walker-Hock has been honored as the Big Ten Coach of the Year three times, in 2001, 2010 and 2017. She has also been honored as the Big Ten tournament’s outstanding coach in 2002 and as the NSCAA Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year in 2009.

Ohio State has been Big Ten team statistical champions nine times under Walker-Hock and she has had eight of her student-athletes lead the Big Ten in a statistical category. She has seen 23 Buckeyes earn first-team all-Big Ten Conference honors. Her standout players include 2020 Tokyo Olympian and gold medal winner for Team Canada, Nichelle Prince.

Ten of Walker-Hock’s Buckeyes have won a total of 11 Big Ten major individual awards:

• Izzy Rodriguez (2020 defender of the year);
• Peyton McNamara (2020 freshman of the year);
• Devon Kerr (2018 GK of the year);
• Nikki Walts (2017 midfielder of the year);
• Morgan Wolcott (2017 defender of the year);
• Cassie Dickerson (2011 Big Ten Medal of Honor);
• Paige Maxwell (2010 offensive player of the year);
• Cassie Dickerson (2010 defensive player of the year);
• Lara Dickenmann (2004 freshman of the year);
• Lisa Grubb (2001 freshman of the year); and
• Becky Borchers (1999 Big Ten Medal of Honor).

Walker-Hock’s Buckeyes have thrived in the classroom. As a team, Ohio State has earned the NSCAA College Women’s Team Academic Award nine times in the past 10 years. To qualify for the award, a team must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) to be eligible. Individually, 35 different student-athletes have garnered Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar laurels during Walker-Hock’s tenure to go along seven NSCAA/United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Americans and 15 CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.

Ten players have gone on to play professionally under Walker-Hock’s tutelage, with the most recent being All-American Izzy Rodriguez who was drafted by the Kansas City Current in the 2021 NWSL Draft.

Prior to taking over at Ohio State for the 1997 season, Walker-Hock spent two seasons at Kansas, where she started the program. Her career record is 284-211-55 and she has an Ohio State record of 271-188-54.

Walker-Hock’s coaching career began at the University of Maryland in 1992 under former U.S. Women’s National Team head coach April Heinrichs. In three years at Maryland, the team’s goalkeepers and defense, coached by Walker-Hock, set records for save percentage, saves, fewest goals allowed and goals-against average. Active in the development of youth soccer, Walker-Hock has served as a Region II Staff Coach for the U.S. Soccer Federation Olympic Development Program since the summer of 1996. At Maryland, she served three years as a club coach in the town of Columbia, Maryland, as well as a head coach for the Maryland State Youth Soccer Association ODP.

Walker-Hock is a 1994 graduate of North Carolina. She was a member of four Tar Heel national championship teams, three ACC championship teams and lost only one match in her four-year collegiate career. She was the starting goalkeeper in 1989 and ended her playing career in 1991 with a career goals-against average of 0.41, allowing only 10 goals in 2,206 minutes of play. Walker-Hock holds a share of the NCAA tournament record with an amazing 0.00 GAA. She also excelled in the classroom and was named to the ACC academic honor roll three times.

Walker-Hock holds an “A” license and a National Youth License from the U.S. Soccer Federation, as well as a Premier diploma from the NSCAA. She is an active member of the NSCAA and former member of the NSCAA Women’s Committee. Walker-Hock was a high school All-American at Guilderland Central High School where she earned letters in soccer, basketball and volleyball.

During the 2021 Spring campaign, Walker-Hock was inducted the 2021 Long Island Soccer Player Hall of Fame.

A native of Albany, N.Y., Walker-Hock resides in Columbus with her husband, Chris. Her hobbies cycling, paddle boarding and boating.