Softball’s Kirk Walker Inducted into LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame
March 07, 2025 | Softball
LOS ANGELES – Longtime UCLA softball assistant coach Kirk Walker was announced as part of the 2025 LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame class by the Sports Equality Foundation (SEF).
Walker, who has transitioned into a new role at UCLA as Director of Softball Administration in his 24th year with the program, is one of the most visible and vocal advocates for diversity and inclusion in sports.
"I'm incredibly humbled and honored to be inducted into the LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame," Walker said. "There are so many icons and game-changers in this Hall of Fame and to be considered among them is overwhelming. People like Billie Jean King, Billy Bean, Dave Kopay and so many others impacted my journey as an advocate. I hope to continue to advocate for a community that has been hidden and marginalized for so long. Sports is a far more inclusive space, especially when athletes and coaches contribute to their teams and their sport as their authentic selves, so they are judged by their character and not their sexuality."
Walker was instrumental in building the foundation for the UCLA softball dynasty, winning a total of seven NCAA Championships and making 18 Women's College World Series appearances as an assistant coach from 1984-94 and 2013-22 and associate head coach from 2023-24. The Bruins won NCAA titles in 1984, '85, '88, '89, '90, '92 and '19 with Walker on the coaching staff.
Walker has spent the entirety of his career pushing for the advancement and support of diversity, equity and inclusion in sports. He is one of the founders of the Equality Coaching Alliance and the LGBTIQ+ Human Rights Sports Coalition and serves as a founding board member for the non-profit SEF. Walker is also the coordinator of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's (NFCA) LGBTQ+ Convention Session. He was named as one of the top 100 most powerful and influential LGBTQ people in sports by Outsports in October 2024.
Walker finished his 23-year UCLA coaching career with an 828-156-1 record (.840), 11 conference regular season titles and one Pac-12 Tournament championship. Known for tossing Jolly Ranchers to home run hitters as the Bruins' third base coach, Walker was a member of the NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year in 2019 and the NFCA West Region CSOY six times in 2014, '15, '16, '19, '21 and '24. Across Walker's two stints, UCLA received 61 NFCA All-America awards, three Honda Cups, 10 Honda Sport Awards, two USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year awards, one NFCA National Player of the Year award, 14 Pac-10/12 Player of the Year awards, 127 all-conference selections (118 All-Pac-10/12) and 11 CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.
Walker started his collegiate coaching career as an undergraduate assistant at UCLA in 1984 and was on staff for 11 seasons before leaving to be the head coach at Oregon State. In his first stint at UCLA, he worked closely with the Bruins' pitchers and played a large role in developing all-time greats Debbie Doom, Tracy Compton and Lisa Fernandez, among others.
Walker has fought for safety and rules clarity in a variety of roles with the NFCA, including four years as a member of the Executive Board. Walker also spent six years on the Regional Advisory Committee, three years on the NCAA Playing and Practice Rules Committee and has been a presenter at numerous NFCA conventions for the past 20 years.
One of the sport's biggest entrepreneurial minds, Walker is a co-founder and owner for college softball's premier early-season tournament, the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. Walker has organized the event for the last 20 years, bringing thousands of fans to the Palm Springs area to inspire future generations of female athletes.
Also included in the 2025 LGTBQ Hall of Fame class are Los Angeles Dodgers' executive Erik Braverman, WNBA All-Star Layshia Clarendon and professor Pat Griffin. The 2025 induction ceremony will take place Aug. 10, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nev., bringing together leaders and supporters from across the industry to celebrate these remarkable achievements.
"These individuals embody the very spirit of our mission of the Hall of Fame," said Scott Bova, Chair of the LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame. "Their contributions to sports and advocacy have paved the way for greater inclusion and have inspired countless athletes and fans worldwide. We are honored to recognize their legacy."
Walker, who has transitioned into a new role at UCLA as Director of Softball Administration in his 24th year with the program, is one of the most visible and vocal advocates for diversity and inclusion in sports.
"I'm incredibly humbled and honored to be inducted into the LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame," Walker said. "There are so many icons and game-changers in this Hall of Fame and to be considered among them is overwhelming. People like Billie Jean King, Billy Bean, Dave Kopay and so many others impacted my journey as an advocate. I hope to continue to advocate for a community that has been hidden and marginalized for so long. Sports is a far more inclusive space, especially when athletes and coaches contribute to their teams and their sport as their authentic selves, so they are judged by their character and not their sexuality."
Walker was instrumental in building the foundation for the UCLA softball dynasty, winning a total of seven NCAA Championships and making 18 Women's College World Series appearances as an assistant coach from 1984-94 and 2013-22 and associate head coach from 2023-24. The Bruins won NCAA titles in 1984, '85, '88, '89, '90, '92 and '19 with Walker on the coaching staff.
Walker has spent the entirety of his career pushing for the advancement and support of diversity, equity and inclusion in sports. He is one of the founders of the Equality Coaching Alliance and the LGBTIQ+ Human Rights Sports Coalition and serves as a founding board member for the non-profit SEF. Walker is also the coordinator of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's (NFCA) LGBTQ+ Convention Session. He was named as one of the top 100 most powerful and influential LGBTQ people in sports by Outsports in October 2024.
Walker finished his 23-year UCLA coaching career with an 828-156-1 record (.840), 11 conference regular season titles and one Pac-12 Tournament championship. Known for tossing Jolly Ranchers to home run hitters as the Bruins' third base coach, Walker was a member of the NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year in 2019 and the NFCA West Region CSOY six times in 2014, '15, '16, '19, '21 and '24. Across Walker's two stints, UCLA received 61 NFCA All-America awards, three Honda Cups, 10 Honda Sport Awards, two USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year awards, one NFCA National Player of the Year award, 14 Pac-10/12 Player of the Year awards, 127 all-conference selections (118 All-Pac-10/12) and 11 CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.
Walker started his collegiate coaching career as an undergraduate assistant at UCLA in 1984 and was on staff for 11 seasons before leaving to be the head coach at Oregon State. In his first stint at UCLA, he worked closely with the Bruins' pitchers and played a large role in developing all-time greats Debbie Doom, Tracy Compton and Lisa Fernandez, among others.
Walker has fought for safety and rules clarity in a variety of roles with the NFCA, including four years as a member of the Executive Board. Walker also spent six years on the Regional Advisory Committee, three years on the NCAA Playing and Practice Rules Committee and has been a presenter at numerous NFCA conventions for the past 20 years.
One of the sport's biggest entrepreneurial minds, Walker is a co-founder and owner for college softball's premier early-season tournament, the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. Walker has organized the event for the last 20 years, bringing thousands of fans to the Palm Springs area to inspire future generations of female athletes.
Also included in the 2025 LGTBQ Hall of Fame class are Los Angeles Dodgers' executive Erik Braverman, WNBA All-Star Layshia Clarendon and professor Pat Griffin. The 2025 induction ceremony will take place Aug. 10, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nev., bringing together leaders and supporters from across the industry to celebrate these remarkable achievements.
"These individuals embody the very spirit of our mission of the Hall of Fame," said Scott Bova, Chair of the LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame. "Their contributions to sports and advocacy have paved the way for greater inclusion and have inspired countless athletes and fans worldwide. We are honored to recognize their legacy."
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