Louisville women's basketball coach Jeff Walz installs slide from coaches' offices to the gym

Louisville women's hoops manager Jeff Walz whitethorn person turned 51 connected Thursday, but helium decidedly inactive has immoderate kid successful him. Witness the caller summation to the Cardinals' signifier installation astatine the Planet Fitness Kueber Center: a descent from the second-floor coaches' offices to the gym floor.

Jody Demling of Cardinal Authority Tweeted retired a photograph of the descent arsenic portion of Louisville's media time sum Thursday.

Louisville women's hoops manager Jeff Walz has enactment successful a descent from the coaches bureau to the signifier gym. He says, "it's the fastest mode from the 2nd floor." pic.twitter.com/EUqA1Ja6bP

"It's been fun, and players person enjoyed it," Walz told ESPN. "We person had immoderate comic sights arsenic radical person travel flying down the slide. We enactment immoderate padding astatine the bottom. If you haven't practiced sticking your dismount, you person thing brushed to onshore on."

Walz got the thought for the descent astir 5 years ago, but the conception spent a batch of clip successful development. The astir important thing, helium said, was making definite it complied with each Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations, which is wherefore it is partially enclosed.

"We had a section antheral successful municipality who does a batch of absorbing designs and concepts," Walz said. "He's truly creative, and helium said, 'I tin marque it happen.' So helium drew it up for us."

Then a donor helped with the financing for construction. Walz said helium hoped it would entice Cardinals players to travel up and sojourn the coaches much often, which has been the case. It's besides a chill happening to amusement disconnected successful recruiting.

The descent doesn't interfere successful immoderate mode with signifier activities, Walz said, which was portion of the information standards. It's conscionable determination for the enjoyment of each who similar slides, which includes Walz and his 2 youngest daughters, ages 9 and 7. Asked if his wife, Lauren, besides likes the slide, Walz laughed and said, "No, she said she is not doing that."

Metaphorically, though, "slide" is the past connection you would nexus to the Cardinals' program. Entering his 16th season, Walz is 414-113 and has led Louisville to 4 appearances successful the women's Final Four, including past play erstwhile they finished 29-5. Walz had his declaration extended done 2028-29 successful March.

Despite losing 3 starters to graduation, including WNBA No. 4 draught prime Emily Engstler, the Cardinals are ranked No. 7 successful the preseason Associated Press canvass and picked to decorativeness archetypal successful the ACC. That is acknowledgment to the instrumentality of starters Hailey Van Lith and Olivia Cochran, and reloading with transfers and recruits.