INDIANAPOLIS – Former University of Indianapolis men's basketball coach Royce Waltman passed away Monday night, losing a lengthy battle with cancer.  The veteran coach guided three NCAA teams from three different levels to postseason appearances, including compiling two NCAA Tournament berths and a 103-62 (.624) overall record as the head man at UIndy.
 
Waltman, 72, coached the Greyhounds for six years from 1992-97 and again for one more in 2007-08.  Before his arrival on campus, the UIndy men's basketball program had just one winning season in the previous 13 years, but Waltman turned things around with five straight winning campaigns, capped by a stellar 23-5 record in 1996-97.
 
Former Waltman assistant at Indiana State and current UIndy head coach Stan Gouard is one of the countless individuals touched by the long-time head coach.
 
"I am deeply saddened over the loss of Coach Waltman," said Gouard.  "He was a dear friend, a mentor and a brilliant coach for which I am so grateful to have worked for.  His encouragement and support, along with his stories of staying true to who he was have had an enormous impact on me and my coaching career."
 
"My thoughts and prayers are with (his wife) Carol and the family. He was a great coach and an incredible person.  I am grateful for the impact that he has had on my life, in the basketball world and the community."
 
A two-time Great Lakes Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Waltman guided the Hounds to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1996 before winning the program's first and only GLVC title the following season.
 
Also an NCAA Tournament team, the 1996-97 Greyhounds finished with 23 wins, a total that has been topped just one time since.  In addition, that squad remains the only UIndy men's basketball team to earn the nation's No. 1 ranking in the Division II coaches' poll.               
 
Prior to his time at UIndy, Waltman was an assistant at Indiana University from 1982-87, helping the Hoosiers to the 1987 national title.  He then moved on to the head job at DePauw, guiding the Tigers to a 99-37 (.723) record in five season and an appearance in the 1990 Division III national championship game.
 
After his first stint with UIndy, he took over at D-I Indiana State for a 10-year run, leading the Sycamores to a 134-164 (.450) mark that included back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths in 2000 and 2001.
 
Waltman concluded his NCAA head coaching career in 2007-08, notching one more winning season at UIndy.  He most recently had been doing color commentary for IU basketball radio broadcasts before taking a leave of absence.