A third generation San Franciscan, Walt Kolling attended Most Holy Redeemer Elementary in Eureka Valley and earned an academic scholarship to St. Ignatius in the class of 1944. He received a basketball scholarship to USF and played from 1944 to 1945. He graduated from San Francisco State with a Degree in Secondary Education. He coached CYO and PAL teams at St. Gabriel School in San Francisco for many years while running his Bay News Company.