Former Archmere Coach E. John Walsh To Be Inducted into the DE Sports Hall of Fame

A successful coach in six sports over four decades at Archmere Academy and Concord High School, John Walsh is believed to be the only person to be named the state's high school coach of the year in three sports.

His Delaware coaching career began in 1960 when he took over an Archmere football program that had gone 12-60 over the previous nine years. Under Walsh, the Auks went 30-2 over the next four years, 50-14-1 in his eight seasons. He then began the football program at Concord, lifting the new school to a top-five ranking in 1975. He was named coach of the year in 1960.

On returning to Archmere in 1976, he began a volleyball program that became a dynasty, making 20 consecutive appearances in the state tournament with state championships in 1986 and 1987. He was named coach of the year in 1993.

In 1981, Walsh inaugurated Archmere's swimming program. He served as boys swimming coach for five years, then headed the girls team, where his teams compiled a record of 106-65. He was named coach of the year in 1991 and 1993.

John also coached Archmere's softball team for six years, reaching the state tournament once, and Archmere's boys track team from 1961-68, coaching state champions in five events, the team going 8-0 in 1961.

He was inducted into the Archmere Hall of Fame in 1995 and the school's sportsmanship award is named for him. He is a member of the Delaware Volleyball Hall of Fame.

At University of Delaware, he was a three-year varsity letterman in both football and baseball, after twice being named all-City at Northeast (Philadelphia) Catholic High School.

Coach Walsh will be inducted into the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame at a ceremony on Thursday, May 17 at the Chase Center on the Wilmington Riverfront. Doors open at 5:30 PM with the dinner beginning at 6:45 PM. Banquet tickets are $60 per person, tables of 10 are available. To purchase tickets, contact Sue Holloway ASAP at (302) 992-0550 or email her at sueholloway@comcast.net. Checks made payable to "DSMHOF" can be mailed to Sue Holloway at 3 Blackberry Lane, Wilmington, DE 19807. Payment made by VISA or Master card by calling (302) 425-3263.