Rex Walters could be becoming one of the hottest young coaches on the west coast, having improved San Francisco's win total from 11, to 12, to 19 in year three with the Dons. From down and out to an upper echelon team in the West Coast Conference, just like that.
The former Kansas point guard has transitioned well to the coaching ranks, and is starting to put USF on the map. Yesterday, we learned that Walters nabbed a pair of 2012 recruits out of Oklahoma, including one -- center Matt Christiansen -- who chose the Dons over the likes of Stanford, Penn State, Davidson, Seton Hall and Harvard. When's the last time that happened?
And while the likes of Dons legends Bill Russell, Bill Cartwright and the late Quintin Dailey remain distant memories from the past, slowly but surely Walters has upgraded the talent on his roster and is making the Dons a force to be reckoned with in the WCC.
With another solid season in 2011-12, it wouldn't be a surprise if Walters becomes a hot name in the coaching ranks. Walters reportedly turned down an interview for the Fresno State job earlier this year, but staying at USF could be more difficult to do if more intriguing offers come in the future.