It was 10 years ago today that Northwestern football coach Randy Walker suddenly died of a heart attack at age 52. But in many ways, the home-spun leader of the Wildcats never left Evanston. There are signs of him everywhere.

Next month, fans will compete in the annual Run for Walk, a 4.1-mile family walk to honor the late coach. His widow, Tammy, still works for the Northwestern athletic department. His slogan, “Attitude and Investment” is still posted in the media room at the Nicolet Center.

On game days, the Wildcats disembark the team bus and walk down Walker Way to the locker room. When they run onto the field, they touch the Trust Yourself board that he made famous. Fans watch the game from Walker Terrace behind the north end zone at Ryan Field. And on the gridiron, Northwestern still runs the spread offense that he implemented in 2000.

Walker’s record of 37-46 in seven years with the Wildcats might not garner much attention at many programs. But at Northwestern, it was good enough to earn him a long overdue induction into the school’s Hall of Fame this year. That’s what happens when you beat every other Big Ten team and win a Big Ten championship (in 2000) -- two achievements that current coach Pat Fitzgerald has yet to accomplish in his 10 years at the helm.

So on this 10th anniversary of his passing, WildcatReport looks back on Coach Walker’s tenure at Northwestern through the stories we published a decade ago. (Please note that most of these stories were published in the old Rivals format, so they will not look the same as current stories on the network.)

A lasting memory: Louie Vaccher’s personal remembrance of Coach Walk

A remarkable man: Then president Henry Bienen, athletic director Mark Murphy and players talk about Walker’s death at the school's press conference

Five great moments of the Walker Era: Remembering the highest points of Walker's seven-year tenure in Evanston

College football mourns Walker: College football dignitaries from around the country react to Walker's passing

The Walker Era: Summarizing each of Walker's seven seasons as the coach of the Wildcats