 Walker atUCLA in 2008 | |
| Arizona State Sun Devils | |
|---|---|
| Title | Analyst |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1960-12-03)December 3, 1960 (age 64) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school | Pasadena (CA) John Muir |
| College | Minnesota |
| NFL draft | 1982: undrafted |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| |
Coaching | |
| |
| Head coaching record | |
| Career | NCAA: 10–41 (.196) |
DeWayne Morris Walker (born December 3, 1960) is an Americangridiron football coach and former player. He is currently on the staff for theArizona State Sun Devils football team. He previously served as the defensive backs coach of theCleveland Browns of theNational Football League (NFL). Walker playedcollege football at theUniversity of Minnesota and professionally in theCanadian Football League (CFL), withEdmonton Eskimos in 1982, and in theUnited States Football League (USFL), with theOakland Invaders in 1984 and theArizona Outlaws in 1985. Walker served as the head football coach atNew Mexico State University from 2009 to 2012, compiling a record of 10–41 in four seasons.
Born inLos Angeles, Walker graduated fromJohn Muir High School ofPasadena, California in 1978. Walker attended and played forPasadena City College for two years before transferring to theUniversity of Minnesota, where he was a two-year starter.[1]
In 1992, Walker completed hisBachelor of Arts inliberal arts at Regents College of theUniversity of the State of New York (nowExcelsior University).[2]
Walker played for theCanadian Football League'sEdmonton Eskimos in 1982 and theUSFL'sOakland Invaders in 1984 andArizona Outlaws in 1985.
Walker wasPete Carroll's first hire once he became head coach of theUSC Trojans in 2001; Walker oversaw the secondary and had spent the previous three seasons in a similar role with theNew England Patriots. When Carroll hired Walker, he noted "He was with me [. . .] in the NFL, and he was able to learn my style and understand my system".[3]
Between USC and coaching theUCLA Bruins, Walker was a secondary coach for theNational Football LeagueWashington Redskins andNew York Giants. He has also coached for the New England Patriots and at Mount San Antonio College,Utah State,BYU,Oklahoma State andCalifornia.
In December 2006, his defense held the rivalUSC Trojans under 10 points for the first time since 2001. It helped the Bruins end a seven-game losing streak in theUCLA–USC rivalry.
Following the dismissal of UCLA head coach Karl Dorrell in December 2007, Walker was asked to be the head coach of the Bruins in the 2007 Las Vegas Bowl. Dorrell was offered the opportunity to coach a final game, but declined.[4][5] The Bruins facedMountain West Conference championBrigham Young University, a team they defeated earlier in the season. BYU beat UCLA 17–16 when BYU Cougars defensive lineman Eathyn Manumaleuna blocked a 28-yard field goal as time expired.[6] This left Walker with a 0–1 record as head coach.
After the Las Vegas bowl game, speculations arose on whether Walker would return to the program. Among others, he received an offer to replaceKent Baer as defensive coordinator at theUniversity of Washington. On January 1, 2008,Sporting News columnistTom Dienhart reported that Walker had accepted the offer.[7] The story, however, turned out to be untrue, asLos Angeles Times reporterChris Foster reported that Walker would stay atUCLA and remain defensive coordinator for the Bruins.[8] The Sporting News later retracted the story. Walker interviewed for the UCLA Bruin head coaching position and was one of the leading candidates for the position along withRick Neuheisel,Al Golden of Temple, andNorm Chow. The job eventually went to Neuheisel and Walker remained as defensive coordinator.[9]
On December 31, 2008, Walker was named head coach atNew Mexico State University. Walker became the second African-American coach in school history and the seventh African-American FBS coach at that time.[10] He resigned as head coach after the 2012 season.
On January 22, 2013, it was reported that Walker would leave New Mexico State in favor of the defensive backs job with theJacksonville Jaguars.[11][12]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA Bruins(Pacific-10 Conference)(2007) | |||||||||
| 2007 | UCLA | 0–1 | LLas Vegas | ||||||
| UCLA: | 0–1 | ||||||||
| New Mexico State Aggies(Western Athletic Conference)(2009–2012) | |||||||||
| 2009 | New Mexico State | 3–10 | 1–7 | T–8th | |||||
| 2010 | New Mexico State | 2–10 | 1–7 | 8th | |||||
| 2011 | New Mexico State | 4–9 | 2–5 | 7th | |||||
| 2012 | New Mexico State | 1–11 | 0–6 | 7th | |||||
| New Mexico State: | 10–40 | 4–25 | |||||||
| Total: | 10–41 | ||||||||