| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Associate head coach |
| Team | UCLA |
| Conference | Pac-12 |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | Woodland Hills,California, U.S. |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1984–1989 | UCLA (grad. asst.) |
| 1990–1994 | UCLA (asst.) |
| 1995–2012 | Oregon State |
| 2013–2022 | UCLA (asst.) |
| 2023–2024 | UCLA (AHC) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 594–490–3 (.548) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| |
Kirk Walker is an Americansoftball coach, currently serving as director of softball administration of theUCLA Bruins softball team. He previously served as the head coach for theOregon State Beavers softball team, where he is the winningest softball coach in program history.
Walker began his coaching career as an undergraduate assistant coach for theUCLA Bruins in 1984. He spent 11 years at UCLA where the Bruins won sixWomen's College World Series championships in1984,1985,1988,1989,1990 and1992.[1]
Prior to the 1995 season, Walker was named head coach for theOregon State Beavers softball team. In 1999, he led the Beavers to a 47–25 record, setting a program-record for the most wins, and advanced toNCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. Following the season he was namedPac-10 Coach of the Year and Speedline Pacific Region Co-Coaching Staff of the Year.[2] In 2005 he led the Beavers to a 43–16 record, and their first-ever conference championship in program history and an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Pac-10 championship was the first regular-season title for any women's sports program in Oregon State history. Following the season he was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year.[1] On March 1, 2009, Walker earned his 500th career win in a victory againstMinnesota.[3]
Walker served as the head coach at Oregon State for eighteen years, where he posted a 594–490–3 record, and eight seasons with at least 40 wins. He is the all-time winningest softball coach in program history and the fifth-winningest in Oregon State history regardless of sport.[1][4] On August 7, 2012, Walker resigned as head coach of the Beavers to return to UCLA as an assistant coach.[5] On August 12, 2022, Walker was promoted to associate head coach for the Bruins.[6] He transitioned to director of softball administration in 2025.[7]
On November 18, 2019, Walker was named head coach and assistant general manager for theCalifornia Commotion ofNational Pro Fastpitch.[8] The team never played a game as the2020 and2021 seasons were cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[9][10] On August 1, 2021, the NPF announced that due to a lack of revenue after cancelling the previous two seasons, it would be suspending operations.[11]
In 2025, Walker was inducted into theLGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame.[12]
Walkercame out asgay to his Oregon State softball team in 2005, announcing he and his partner, Randy Baltimore, were adopting a daughter named Ava. They had to register with a public agency, and he did not want his players to learn about his being gay from anyone else.[13] While still the coach of that team, he came out to the websiteOutsports in 2007.[14][15] He was the first openly gay male coach inNCAA Division I history.[16][17]
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon State(Pacific-10/Pac-12 Conference)(1995–2012) | |||||||||
| 1995 | Oregon State | 13–41 | 4–24 | 7th | |||||
| 1996 | Oregon State | 15–35 | 3–22 | 8th | |||||
| 1997 | Oregon State | 29–34–1 | 6–21 | 8th | |||||
| 1998 | Oregon State | 27–28 | 8–20 | 8th | |||||
| 1999 | Oregon State | 47–25 | 14–14 | 4th | NCAA Regionals | ||||
| 2000 | Oregon State | 40–21–1 | 7–13 | 6th | NCAA Regionals | ||||
| 2001 | Oregon State | 44–24 | 10–10 | 5th | NCAA Regionals | ||||
| 2002 | Oregon State | 40–25 | 7–14 | 7th | NCAA Regionals | ||||
| 2003 | Oregon State | 36–31 | 5–16 | 8th | NCAA Regionals | ||||
| 2004 | Oregon State | 44–28 | 4–17 | 7th | NCAA Regionals | ||||
| 2005 | Oregon State | 43–16 | 13–8 | 3rd | NCAA Regionals | ||||
| 2006 | Oregon State | 43–16 | 10–10 | 5th | Women's College World Series | ||||
| 2007 | Oregon State | 41–23 | 10–11 | 5th | NCAA Regionals | ||||
| 2008 | Oregon State | 28–31 | 6–15 | 7th | |||||
| 2009 | Oregon State | 25–30 | 4–17 | 7th | |||||
| 2010 | Oregon State | 24–31 | 4–17 | 8th | |||||
| 2011 | Oregon State | 19–28 | 2–19 | 8th | |||||
| 2012 | Oregon State | 36–23 | 9–14 | 6th | NCAA Regionals | ||||
| Oregon State: | 594–490–3 (.548) | 126–282 (.309) | |||||||
| Total: | 594–490–3 (.548) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||