Walker Butler ‘20, Varsity Boys Water Polo Assistant Coach, graduated from GA in 2020.
“Walker is one of the most decorated players in Germantown Academy history,” Varsity Water Polo Coach Mike Koziol said. “He had an awesome career.”
In his four years of playing GA water polo, Butler was the all-time leading scorer and was named Inter-Ac MVP as a senior. Walker’s family was a big part of the start of his water polo journey, as they all shared a love for the game. He followed in the footsteps of his older brother, who came back to coach at GA in his senior year.
“My dad played water polo in college, so he got my brothers playing at a young age,” Butler said. “So I was always getting beat up by my older brothers, and that kind of allowed me to establish myself eventually in the pool.”
After graduating, he took his talents to Bucknell University, where he was an all-conference performer and won the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Championship as a freshman. After completing his water polo career, Coach Walker landed a job at Black Rock on the Investment Stewardship team, where he handles client outreach and engagement.
“GA did so much for me growing up,” Butler said. “I just want to give back to the same program that helped make me who I am.”
During the summer months, Butler volunteered and trained with the GA team as the team prepared for their upcoming season. He made connections with the water polo team and demonstrated strong coaching skills, making it an easy choice to hire him to the staff.
“He’s very thoughtful. He really wants to get to know all the kids. He loves working with everyone,” Mr. Koziol said. “That kind of gift and thoughtful, caring nature seeps into all he does. He really is passionate about everyone growing and getting better.”
Butler is well appreciated by the coaches like Coach Mike; many players feel a similar way and appreciate him deeply, for his qualities and fun nature.
“He can make himself serious when he needs to be, but he also knows when he can just joke around and can have fun,” Nayan Shah ‘27, Boys Water Polo team captain, said. “I know it is really impactful for him, because he is so close to us in age.”
Butler’s presence and coaching are incredibly appreciated by the players and the coaches on the teams. These past few years of Butler coaching at GA make this a full-circle moment for Koziol and the coaches who coached him, the current players some of whom watched him play and for Butler himself. Walker has brought new strategic approaches to the game, drawing plays up in crucial situations.
“He did a great job of providing additional X’s and O’s,” Coach Koziol said. “A great specific example is the kind of game plan he came up with before the first Lawrenceville game, that we ran to a T and used to beat them at their place for the first time in a long time.”
Along with his strategic value he provides the team, he brings a new perspective to the sport.
“He brings a new lens to the game. He played recently and had Mike as a coach,” Shah said. “He went through the same system that we’re going through, and I think he also has a new aspect.”
Coach Walker had an accomplished Water Polo career with many achievements throughout high school and college. He has played a crucial role in the success of the Boys Water Polo 2025 season. The return of alumni athletes like Coach Walker show the impact the athletic program has had on the alumni development as a person and as a player. Walker, the coaching staff and the players are all excited, looking forward to a highly anticipated season next year in 2026.