Valparaiso University Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Vincent Walker has announced the addition of Ricardo Torres to his staff. Torres will serve as an assistant track & field coach, specializing in the sprints, jumps and hurdles.
 
Torres arrives at Valpo after gaining seven years of power-conference experience as part of the track & field staff at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

"The thing that really stood out to me during the interview process is that Ricardo aligns really well with my vision," Walker said. "We as coaches are here to develop student-athletes and we want to develop young men and women to set them up to be successful later in life. His mindset is similar to mine in that we're coaching the athlete and not just the numbers on a sheet of paper. He's really passionate about coaching the individual and getting to know them first and then developing the athlete side. I'm really excited for him to come in with new ideas after being part of a great sprints and jumps program at Baylor."
 
Torres recently served as a graduate assistant coach for the Bears over the last two years after spending two years as a volunteer assistant coach and three as a student equipment manager for the track & field program.
 
"I'm excited to be joining the team and building a new legacy here at Valpo," Torres said. "Coach Walker and I have very similar coaching philosophies and that is what led me to joining his staff. We both want to help the student-athletes grow both athletically and personally. I hope to bring in new knowledge and build a new foundation for our program and student-athletes."
 
Torres was part of the coaching efforts (working under and alongside Baylor associate head coach Stacey Smith) that helped Alexis Brown become an outdoor Big 12 champion and an indoor and outdoor All-American in the long jump in 2024 and Baylor's first national champion in the indoor long jump in 2025, when Brown also broke the program record and swept the indoor and outdoor Big 12 long jump titles. In 2025, freshman Janae de Gannes finished as a Second Team All-American in the long jump at Outdoor Nationals. Freshman Iyanna Webb finished the season with All-Big 12 honors in the triple jump, both indoors and outdoors, as well.
 
During his time as a volunteer assistant coach, Torres primarily worked with jumps, sprints, and distance and assisted Smith in coaching the following: one outdoor second team All-American in women's long jump (Alex Madlock, 14th place at nationals, 2021), one long jump Big 12 champion & indoor All-American (Johnny Brackins 2022), one women's long jump All-American and All-Big 12 athlete (Caira Pettway 2022) and two All-Big 12 athletes in women's triple jump (Alex Madlock and Koi Johnson). He also helped coach Moorea Long to All-Big 12 indoor honors in high jump. In 2023, he was a part of aiding Koi Johnson in reaching Second Team All-American status in triple jump, where she finished 17th at nationals and she also earned indoor and outdoor All-Big 12 honors in triple jump and indoor All-Big 12 recognition for indoor long jump. He helped Johnson reach All-Big 12 honors in the indoor triple jump in 2024. Additionally, he coached two All-Big 12 high jumpers in Moorea Long and Aïcha Moumin.
 
Torres graduated from Baylor in May 2025 with a master's in exercise physiology.