Walt McPherson returned to San Jose State, the school where he starred in three sports, to become the linchpin of its athletic program as a coach and administrator. In the course of a 39-year career he coached four Spartan sports, then became athletic director, head of the physical education department and commissioner of the West Coast Athletic Conference. His greatest coaching success came with the golf team, which won the 1948 NCAA title, and basketball, where his 17 teams won 264 games, the most of any Spartan coach. SJSU basketball teams now play on a court named for him.

This tireless proponent of Spartan athletics was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.