Longtime Fulton Boys’ Basketball Coach retires

MIDDLETON, Mich. (WILX) - After 27 years as the Fulton Pirates’ bench boss, Todd Walden is retiring.

Brandon Trefil, the School’s Athletic Director, confirmed the information with News 10 Sports Thursday afternoon.

“I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Walden said. “It’s been a great experience.”

Walden, who is also a teacher at the school, comes from a family of educators. His parents are both educators and his father was his coach in his senior year.

“I knew that I wanted to go into education from the time I was probably in middle school,” he said.

Throughout his career, Walden has coached two of his sons, both of whom were on teams that made deep runs into March.

“There are a lot of guys that get a chance to coach their kids but not to experience some of the memories that we’ve established, and it’s certainly been really special,” he said.

Walden has also helped some of his former players even after they graduated.

Trefil has known Walden his whole life and spoke highly of the coach’s impact on his life.

“He’s taught me many life lessons that will go on forever and I can’t thank him enough. He made me want to get into coaching. He kind of brought me back into education and wanted to make an impact on students’ lives,” Trefil said.

Walden has aimed to be a positive influence on his players throughout his career.

“I know they’ve touched my life and made me a better person. I hope the kids got as much for me as I got from them over the years,” he said.

Walden coached the Pirates to a 376-281 record in his nearly three decades as the Pirates’ coach. He also led the team to multiple postseason runs; in 2011 he took his team to the 2011 Class D State Finals.

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