MOSCOW, Idaho - Chris Walsh was named Idaho's Director of Athletic Training Services earlier this spring. Walsh, who is in his sixth year overall with the Vandal sports medicine team, was promoted after emerging as the top candidate from a national search to fill the director position vacated by Barrie Steele's retirement. Steele spent 33 years as Idaho's Director of Athletic Training. Former Idaho graduate assistant Clayton Malinich was hired to fill Walsh's spot as an assistant athletic trainer, Malinich will begin his duties in June.

As director, Walsh will oversee Idaho's athletic training staff and facilities, including three full-time assistant athletic trainers, five graduate assistants and 15 student assistants. Walsh will work directly with the football and golf programs, in addition to his administrative duties. He spent the past three years as an assistant athletic trainer, including serving as the head athletic trainer for Idaho football.

"I am truly appreciative and excited for the opportunity to lead the Idaho Athletic Training Services Department," Walsh said. "Being part of this team the past five years allowed me the opportunity to build relationships across all sports and prepared me with the organizational knowledge to hit the ground running from day one. This is an exciting time for our department and the perfect opportunity to build and strengthen partnerships throughout our campus and community with the goal of providing the best healthcare services to our Vandal student-athletes." 

Walsh first joined Idaho's athletic training staff as a graduate assistant in 2014, working for two years as the primary athletic trainer for women's soccer, and earning his master's degree in movement sciences. Walsh completed his bachelor's degree in athletic training from South Alabama in 2014, following an eight-year career in the U.S. Coast Guard. Walsh rose to the rank of Petty Officer First Class, while stationed in Alameda, Calif.; Mobile, Ala.; Juneau, Alaska; and Seattle.

Malinich returns to the Vandals after spending the past year as the athletic trainer for men's basketball at Wagner College. He will work primarily with Idaho's football student-athletes, while also having oversight of the swimming and diving program's athletic training care. A 2018 graduate of the U of I with a master's degree in movement sciences, Malinich worked with a variety of Vandal athletic programs during his two years as a graduate assistant including football and track and field. He came to Moscow in 2016, after graduating with a bachelor's degree in athletic training from Valley City (N.D.) State University, where he was a student athletic trainer.