Page 7 - Hall of Fame

Waldon “Wally” McNaught graduated from Polk High School in 1951.
He was a letter winner in Basketball and Track as a Polk Cubs. Wally was a two-sport letter winner at Nebraska Wesleyan
University, and on a championship relay team for the Nebraska Wesleyan Track Team. Wally received a Bachelor’s of Science
degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University, and Master’s of Science degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He was a
corporal in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict.

Wally was a longtime boy’s basketball coach, coaching for 36 years. He coached at Crete, Harvard, Omaha Bryan and Lincoln
Southeast. While coaching at Lincoln Southeast he was known as a part of the legendary foursome of city basketball coaches that
included Paul Forch of Lincoln East, Aldie Johnson of Lincoln High and Ed Johnson of Lincoln Northeast. Southeast’s deliberate
style of basketball became known across Class A as ‘Wally Ball’ In 1980 he was selected as the Ralph Beechner/KFOR coach of the
year. During his coaching career Wally took his teams to the Nebraska State tournament 5 times earning runner-up twice.
In 1985, Wally hung up his whistle to take over the Athletic Director’s position at Lincoln Southeast. Under his leadership as
Athletic Director, Lincoln Southeast won 27 state athletic titles in 8 years. The mascot for the Lincoln Southeast Knights is named
in his honor. ‘Wally McKnight’. The theater in the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame is also named in his honor. Waldon “Wally”
McNaught is known as the father of the Nebraska Coaches Association All-Star Basketball Game.
Wally accomplishments and awards:
• Member of the National High School Coaches Hall of Fame
• Member of the Nebraska State High School Hall of Fame
• Member of the Nebraska Wesleyan Athletic Hall of Fame
• Member of the Lincoln Southeast High school Hall of Fame
• Ralph Beechner Coach of the Year Award winner
• Past president of the Nebraska Coaches Association
• Past president of the Nebraska State Athletic Directors Association
• Past president of the Nebraska Hall of Fame

Wally and his wife JoAnn have 3 children, daughter Linda, sons Tom and Pat.
HOME