On a cold, April day, second-year Northwestern football coach Randy Walker eagerly watches while his team runs one of its new offensive drills inside Trienens Hall.

A few moments later, Walker blows his whistle, signaling for the players to kneel before him so he can tell them what he thought of the day’s work.

The players take off their helmets and look up as Walker leans in to tell them what’s on his mind.

“I told them, ‘We’ve got miles to go before we sleep,'” Walker said. “And I knew I was at Northwestern because I asked, ‘What poet said that?’ and they all said, ‘(Robert) Frost.'”

The correct answer was one tell-tale sign that his days as the winningest coach in Miami (Ohio) history are over.

After leading Miami to a 10-1 season, its best since he took over in 1990, Walker packed his bags for Evanston and came to a program trying to revive its success of the mid-1990s.

But not much improved for the Wildcats in Walker’s first season. NU dealt with inexperience at the quarterback position all season and the Cats tallied only three wins for the second year in a row.

Now Walker is less than a week away from the end of his second spring season as NU coach and is still not sure when things will be totally turned around.

“A year ago, I was still trying to learn all the kids’ names,” Walker said. “The thing you have to remember is that I didn’t recruit them, and they didn’t come here to play for me. A big part of the transition is getting adjusted to the way I coach.”

The Cats finally have some stability at the quarterback position with junior transfer Zak Kustok returning this season. Kustok will no doubt have a better grasp on how to run Walker’s system after a year of experience.

In addition, running back Damien Anderson, arguably NU’s most consistent offensive performer last season, will return to the line up behind Kustok.

And the Cats defense will bring back many starters, including Dwayne Missouri, Kevin Bentley, Harold Blackmon and Napoleon Harris.

All of these returnees will have a year of Walker’s tactics and ideas under their belts when they step on the field in the fall.

Plus, Walker has 19 recruits coming to NU next fall, headed by highly-touted quarterback prospect Tony Stauss.

“You know what (Walker’s) about: hard work,” Anderson said. “People may be afraid of a new system but once you get over that new hurdle, it becomes regular.

“He’s a get-after-it coach. A mind your P’s and Q’s coach. He’s evaluating you all the time. I like it because he’s a business coach. He doesn’t sugarcoat the truth.”

Walker talks little about the near future and admits that he is willing to trade some setbacks now for a lot of success in the long run.

“The biggest mistake I could make would be to try to make all (the players) happy,” Walker said. “What’s comfortable and easiest to do today might not be best six months from now.”

Walker has been a coach for 24 years and a head coach for 10. During this time, he has developed a set idea of what characteristics are necessary for success.

When he was at Miami, Walker knew his team was successful only when his players started understanding and even teaching each other the ideas he brought to the field.

“At Miami, the seniors and the older guys would say things before I had to say them,” Walker said. “These guys (at NU) have only known me for a year. I think we have great kids, but we’re still working on that aspect here.”

The Walker regime is still in the beginning stages at NU and, on the surface, things haven’t changed much.

But Walker is taking notice of little differences.

Last week NU put on a coaching clinic for more than 200 high school coaches. Walker said at least twelve came up to him and said: “You guys are a lot better football team than last year. You really made progress.”

Walker said those compliments should be directed to his players.

“I haven’t lifted one weight or done one stretch all year,” Walker said.

But Walker also realizes that his team will have to go through a few more cold days in April before he reaches his destination.

“I think we are better, but I’m not naive,” he said. “I know everyone else in the Big Ten is better too.”