BANGOR – Kissy Walker started out at Husson College 12 years ago as the women’s basketball coach.

Over time, her responsibilities have increased significantly, both on the court and off. Now, she’s changing her professional focus.

Citing the need to concentrate her professional efforts in one area, Walker on Wednesday announced she is stepping down as the Braves’ head coach.

Walker, 37, has directed Husson to a 236-95 record (.713), including four Maine Athletic Conference championships and four trips to the NAIA Division III National Tournament. In 1993, Walker’s Braves advanced to the Final Four, a feat unmatched by any other MAC team in any sport.

Husson qualified for the MAC tournament in 10 of her 12 seasons and she earned league coach of the year honors in 1993 and 2000. She was the State of Maine Coach of the Year in 1993, ’94 and ’95.

“I’ve been stressed out for like three months because I knew I couldn’t keep this pace up,” said Walker, who also works as an assistant to Husson president Bill Beardsley and as the clinical coordinator for the school’s new education program.

“Whatever I do, I like to do the best I can and do it with passion,” she said. “I really had to narrow [the focus] down. I’ve coached for 12 years and I really feel I’ve put everything into it that I could give. I have a lot of pride in what we’ve accomplished.”

Walker, who serves as the foster mother for a 9-year-old girl, saw this as an opportunity to further her non-basketball aspirations. She’s working on a Master of Science in Business at Husson which she hopes will enable her to be more effective in her duties.

Walker, who is Husson’s NCAA Senior Woman Administrator and teaches two classes, is involved in expanding Husson development as an assistant to Beardsley. Her new responsibilities as clinical coordinator require her to place students in work settings and serve as a liaison between them and the employers.

Walker admitted the coaching and recruiting climate has changed since Husson was made a provisional NCAA member and after MAC presidents voted five years ago to eliminate athletic scholarships. The increased workload for players in the nursing and physical therapy programs also has made it more difficult to coach effectively.

Walker was a standout basketball player at Cony High who went on to play at the University of Maine. She captained coach Peter Gavett’s Black Bear team as a senior and graduated in 1986 with a B.S. in Physical Education.

Walker admits she’ll miss coaching and working with the players.

“I think I’ll really miss the competition of the games and trying to plan the strategy of how we can win,” Walker said. “Working with the kids and with [assistant coach] Randy [Dodge] is what I’ll miss most.”