July 23, 2007
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; July 20, 2007 - Penn State men's soccer head coach Barry Gorman has announced the addition of James Walker as an assistant to his staff. Walker will oversee recruiting, the conditioning program, and NCAA compliance matters.
"I am sure Jim will slot seamlessly into our staff structure and be an instant match," said Gorman, who is entering his 20th year at Penn State. "He has collegiate experience and comes highly recommended."
"I am looking forward to working along side Barry Gorman, one of the most respected coaches in the nation, and at a top institution like Penn State University," said Walker. "I am excited to be on the men's side again with a team of such a high-caliber as Penn State."
Walker comes to Happy Valley from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pa. where he served as head coach of the women's team for the previous four years. He experienced unprecedented success at Duquesne, changing the fortunes of a program that was 5-13-1 in 2002 into one that posted the most wins in school history in just three short years. Walker's 2005 Dukes squad garnered a 10-6-1 overall record, the program's first-ever double-digit win season, and featured four All-Atlantic 10 Conference players.
Prior to his stint at Duquesne, Walker headed up the women's program at his alma mater, Tiffin University in Ohio, from 1997-2002. While at Tiffin, he guided the Dragons to four American Mideast Conference Championships, amassing an impressive 84-33-2 overall record. Under his leadership, Tiffin was nationally ranked for four consecutive years, advanced to the Regional Final Four in each of his six seasons, and reached the NAIA National Tournament quarterfinals in 2000 and 2002. Walker's achievements did not go unnoticed, as he was named America Mideast Coach of the Year and Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association Coach of the Year three times and was the runner-up for the 2000 BRINE National Coach of the Year Award.
As a player at Tiffin, Walker, a forward, helped the Dragons capture two AMC titles while earning NSCAA All-America honors in 1994 and 1995.
The native of Birmingham, England holds a bachelor's degree in business (1997) and an MBA (2000) from Tiffin.
After graduation, Walker played at the professional level with the Kalamazoo Kingdom (1996-97) and the Cleveland Caps (1998) of USISL. He served as an assistant men's soccer coach at Tiffin for two seasons before taking over the reins of the women's program. Walker also previously acted as head coach for the Ohio North ODP (2001-02) and the Pennsylvania West ODP (2003) teams.
Walker has tremendous soccer bloodlines, as his namesake father played and coached in the professional ranks in England for 25 years. As a member of Derby County of the English Premier League, James, Sr. captured two championships. He also coached in the EPL as a member of the Aston Villa staff for 15 years.
Walker and his wife, the former Kerri Destatte, have one daughter, Emma Grace, born on Sept. 30, 2003.