Walt Klinker Passes

[TravelingPanther]

Coach Klink passed on, leaving behind a lot of players who loved him.

I could never do him proper justice, so I will share a memory of him and hope that others who interacted with him will do the same.

When I was younger we used to always sit as close as we could in the student section. Coach was always fired up and used a lot of colorful language. He made a big impression on my dad and I with the way he lead the OL to the point that my dad once wrote to him expressing his appreciation a while after he left UNI.

[NEI Panther]

When I was a student in the early 90's we would go to the games when the doors opened to get our seats in the front row right in front of where the O Line would sit just to listen to Coach Klink.

[TravelingPanther]

When I was a student in the early 90's we would go to the games when the doors opened to get our seats in the front row right in front of where the O Line would sit just to listen to Coach Klink.

It was crazy getting to games so early and making a mad rush. Now you just show up 45-90 minutes before the game and can sit almost anywhere.

[TravelingPanther]

http://m.legacy.com/obituaries/ljworld/obituary.aspx?n=walt-klinker&pid=186674940&referrer=0&preview=True

[stolz67]

Rest In Peace Coach!
I can still close my eyes and hear you scream at Joe Judge

[Born-a-Panther]

I can remember being in elementary school and hanging out with my mom in the press box prior to a game. It was getting close to kickoff and something came up - no idea what it was - but my mom needed to get information from Klinker so she sent me down to the sidelines to ask him. I was maybe eight years old - and completely intimidated by him. I remember the stunned look he gave me when I came up to him on the sidelines in pre-game warm-ups, and I am pretty sure my eyes were as big as saucers when I approached him down there. That's the only personal memory I have of him but I sure did get to hear a lot of stories from my mom and Dad while growing up.

[E. Bruce 9183]

Played for him from '88-'92. Chewed ass with the best of them, but you always knew he cared about you. I keep thinking of little things he did and said and it makes me smile/laugh. I was back in CF shortly after graduation for a game and we were at that Panther Lounge after the game. He came in and I asked him what he was drinking and he said a Zima. Not exactly what I expected from the grizzled FB coach, but I happily got him one. An absolute classic.