Walt Criner
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1937 |
| Died | June 15, 2021 (aged 84) Gardnerville, Nevada, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1958 | Pepperdine |
| Baseball | |
| 1957–1959 | Pepperdine |
| Position(s) | Quarterback (football) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1970–1973 | Coachella Valley HS (CA) |
| 1974–1979 | Desert (assistant) |
| 1980–1982 | Cal Poly Pomona (OL) |
| 1983–1986 | Snow |
| 1987–1988 | Idaho State (AHC/OL) |
| 1989 | Indio HS (CA) |
| 1990–1991 | Coachella Valley HS (CA) |
| 1992–1995 | Arizona Western |
| Baseball | |
| 1960–1971 | Coachella Valley HS (CA) |
| 1978–1980 | Coachella Valley HS (CA) |
| 2000–2002 | Coachella Valley HS (CA) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 37–43 (junior college football) |
| Bowls | 1–0 (junior college) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Football 1 NJCAA National (1985) 1 ICAC (1983) 1 WSFL (1985) | |
Walt Criner (c. 1937 – June 15, 2023) was an American football and baseball coach. He served as head football coach at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah from 1983 to 1986 and Arizona Western College in Yuma, Arizona from 1992 to 1995, compiling a career junior college football head coaching record of 37–43. He led Snow to a NJCAA National Football Championship in 1985.
Criner graduated from Coachella Valley High School in Thermal, California. His brother, Jim, also became a football coach. After playing college football and college baseball at Pepperdine University, Criner returned to Coachella Valley High School, where he coached football and baseball and taught for 21 years.[1] In 1974, he joined the football coach staff at the College of the Desert (COD) in Palm Desert, California as offensive backfield coach under head coach Bill Reeske.[2] Criner continued to coach baseball at Coachella Valley while working as a football assistant at COD. He also coached basketball at Coachella Valley early in his tenure as the school. In 1980, he left Coachella Valley to become an assistant football coach at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona under head football coach Roman Gabriel.[3][4]
Criner succeeded Bill Kelly as head football coach at Snow in 1983.[5] After leading his teams to a record of 26–16 in four seasons, he resigned from his post at Snow in early 1987 to become the assistant head football coach and offensive line coach at Idaho State University.[6] Criner spent two years at Idaho State and then was the head football coach at Indio High School, in Indio, California, in 1989, leading the Rajahs to a record of 6–5. He returned again to Coachella Valley High School as head football coach in 1990.[7]
Criner died on June 15, 2023, at his home in Gardnerville, Nevada.[8]
Head coaching record[edit]
Junior college football[edit]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow Badgers (Intermountain Collegiate Athletic Conference) (1983–1984) | |||||||||
| 1983 | Snow | 5–6 | 4–2 | T–1st | |||||
| 1984 | Snow | 4–6 | 3–3 | T–2nd | |||||
| Snow Badgers (Western States Football League) (1985–1986) | |||||||||
| 1985 | Snow | 11–0 | 9–0 | 1st | W Mid-America Bowl | ||||
| 1986 | Snow | 6–4 | 6–3 | 4th | |||||
| Snow: | 26–16 | 22–8 | |||||||
| Arizona Western Matadors (Western States Football League) (1992–1995) | |||||||||
| 1992 | Arizona Western | 2–7 | 2–6 | T–6th | |||||
| 1993 | Arizona Western | 3–6 | 3–6 | 7th | |||||
| 1994 | Arizona Western | 3–7 | 3–5 | 7th | |||||
| 1995 | Arizona Western | 3–7 | 3–6 | 7th | |||||
| Arizona Western: | 11–27 | 11–23 | |||||||
| Total: | 37–43 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
References[edit]
- ^ John, Andrew L. (November 14, 2016). "Former Coachella Valley High coach honored". The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, California. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ "Indio football coach leaves to take Coachella Valley job". The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, California. May 14, 1974. p. B2. Retrieved June 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ Turner, Keith (May 6, 1980). "A legend prepares to leave CVHS". The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, California. p. B1. Retrieved June 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Turner, Keith (May 6, 1980). "Discipline is Criner's forte (continued)". The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, California. p. B1. Retrieved June 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Snow Selects New Coach". Gunnison Valley News. Gunnison, Utah. January 20, 1983. p. 12. Retrieved June 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Coach transfers". The Gunnison Valley News. Gunnison, Utah. January 6, 1987. p. 5. Retrieved June 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ DiMeglio, Steve (March 16, 1990). "Indio football coach leaves to take Coachella Valley job". The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, California. p. E1. Retrieved June 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Bohannan, Larry (November 12, 2021). "Celebration of life set Saturday for former Coachella Valley High School coach Walt Criner". The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, California. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- 1930s births
- 2021 deaths
- 20th-century educators
- American football quarterbacks
- Arizona Western Matadors football coaches
- Cal Poly Pomona Broncos football coaches
- Desert Roadrunners football coaches
- Idaho State Bengals football coaches
- Pepperdine Waves baseball players
- Pepperdine Waves football players
- Snow Badgers football coaches
- West Texas A&M Buffaloes football coaches
- High school baseball coaches in the United States
- High school basketball coaches in California
- High school football coaches in California
- People from Gardnerville, Nevada
- Players of American football from Riverside County, California
- Baseball players from Riverside County, California
- Coaches of American football from California
- Baseball coaches from California
- Schoolteachers from California