Birthdate: September 26, 1944
Birthplace: Mansfield, Ohio
High School: Lakewood, Ohio (1962)
Colleges: Capital University (1966)
Year Inducted: 2019

Before establishing himself as a successful high school basketball coach, Gary Walters played baseball, basketball and football at Lakewood High School. Then he spent four years as Capital University, and was the Crusaders' co-captain and leading scorer in 1966.

He would spend the next 33 years as a high school teacher, coach and administrator. In 1972 he was appointed head basketball coach at Newark High School where he had an outstanding 27-year run during which the Wildcats won 477 games and lost 199.

They won 12 league championships, 17 sectionals, seven districts and one regional. That was in 1981 when they advanced to the Class AAA state semifinal game and lost an 83-81 decision to eventual champion Dayton Roth.

In a 12-year span from 1979-80 through 1991-92, Newark won or shared 10 league championships and five district titles. Overall, they were champions of the Central Ohio League six times, the Buckeye Central Conference five times and the Ohio Capital Conference once.

Walters was selected as Ohio Coach of the Year in 1992 and 1999. He received the Bob Arnzen and Paul Walker coaching awards in 1999.