Reality Check: 'Coach' Walz Was One of Many Assistants, Played Only Bit Part in Football Team's Success

AP Photo/Matt Rourke

You probably reacted as I did after Democrat presidential appointee nominee Kamala Harris inexplicably picked Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to be her running mate after Joe Biden was booted by Nancy Pelosi from the race. "Tim who?"

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“Coach Walz,” the Dems and the media obediently chanted in unison. They quickly started to use sports terms in their campaign statements—claiming they’d taken football back—and a huge number of “Coach Walz” signs were printed for their convention in August.

Turns out, they don’t speak pigskin at all:


Team Kamala Tries to Look Like They're Oh So Into Football, Muff the Job Completely


After Trump’s running mate JD Vance wiped the floor with the Gopher State governor in Tuesday night's debate, it seems like a good time to revisit his credentials. After all, this is the guy who already stands accused of stolen valor, has a dubious origin story, and was just busted for fibbing about where he was during the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989. Watching him made me think of many things, none of which was football.


A problem with the truth:

Slippery Slidey Tim Walz Blames Stolen Valor Scandal on… Bad Grammar

It Sure Looks Like Tim Walz Lied About His Political Origin Story

WATCH: JD Vance Absolutely Cooks Tim Walz, Then Kamala's Running Mate Completely Implodes


Now, I don’t take away anything from Walz’s coaching career—I myself have dabbled in it and have nothing but fond memories, despite the fact that I had no idea what I was doing and had to learn it on the fly.

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Coach Bob:

The problem I have is that—like with his “war stories”—Walz seems to have dramatically oversold his role:

In a striking moment at the Democratic National Convention in August, sixteen former members of Mankato West High School's football team took the stage in a tribute to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

After all, Vice President Kamala Harris told the roaring crowd, he was their 'coach'.

Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar went even further, declaring: 'In Minnesota, we trust a coach who turned a team that was 0-27 into state champions.'

Americans watching might have been left with the distinct impression that Walz was the man behind the team's underdog triumph.

But not so.

In reality, it wasn’t Super Coach Walz at all who steered his team toward success; it was someone else entirely:

In fact, the head coach of the all-conquering side known as the 'Scarlets' was a man named Rick Sutton.

Walz, a social studies teacher by day, was simply one of several assistant coaches under Sutton, working primarily with the defensive players.

For his part, Sutton has expressed no ill will for Walz getting the credit on the national stage. But he also has left no doubt as to who was really in charge.

'Tim was really great at selling his point of view and then accepting a different direction,' Sutton said in August. 'But at some point, somebody has to make that decision, and that's going to be the head coach.'

As I alluded to, my wife and I coached several of our kids’ teams, and even though it was a wonderful experience—I don’t go around selling myself as “Super Coach Bob.” The sad fact is that Truthless Tim seems to have a nasty habit of overstating his actual accomplishments instead of just being who he really is.

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Fun fact: I once had to land a small airplane for a reality show that showed people what to do in an emergency (my “crisis” was that the pilot had a stroke and died mid-air). I did manage to land the Cessna, but, in full disclosure, there was a Navy pilot offscreen who would have taken over if I wasn’t up to the job.

You may now call me “Top Gun Bob” or “Master Airman Hoge” or something.

The truth, however, is that I’m neither of those things, and I don’t feel the need to embellish my record with falsehoods and exaggerations. Why does Tim Walz? He plays Mr. Aw Shucks Nice Guy, but you can’t trust him further than you could throw him (and I’m guessing I couldn’t throw him very far).

Tim, in your recent and hopefully short-lived time in the limelight, you seem to continually come across as a fraud. Kamala’s first real decision—picking you—is telling and should guide everyone’s thinking as we move toward the finish line in this all-important presidential election.

Because to them, the truth is anything that can get them elected.

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