OXFORD, Ohio -- Miami and Northwest...

OXFORD, Ohio -- Miami and Northwestern fans build common ground before a season opener that the two teams were determined to win.

His name was Randy Walker.

Miami fans wearing r stood shoulder to shoulder with purple- clad NU followers at Cradle of Coaches Plaza during a pregame formality honoring one of the principally successful coaches in the history of one as well as the other schools.

Walker died June 29 of an apparent heart attack.

"It's amazing to view one man bring people together like this," Miami athletic director Brad Bates said. "That's who Randy Walker was."

Walker played and coached at Miami. Bill Mallory and Dick Crum who coached Walker at the gymnasium eulogized him, as did writer and Walker family friend strike Kurz, who wrote a volume on Miami's rich coaching tradition.

"It's with equal reason rare in intercollegiate athletics for brace institutions to work together toward a for the use of all goal," NU athletic director Mark Murphy said.

Miami unveiled a plaque of Walker, who became the winningest coach in institute history before taking the NU piece of work in 1999.

Walker embraced the coaching legacy at Miami, which includes sylvan Hayes, Bo Schembechler, Ara Parseghian, John Pont Sid Gillman, Weeb Ewbank and Paul Brown His is the first plaque honoring an individual coach to adorn the walls of Cradle of Coaches Plaza. onward the plaque, Walker's likeness is wearing a Northwestern coaching shirt.

"It would have to be No. 1" Tammy Walker, Randy's widow, said when asked where her husband would have ranked this honor. "It's nice special. The first plaque at the Cradle of Coaches what else could you ask for?"

nhayes@suntimes.com

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