DeWayne Morris Walker is an American football coach currently serving as the defensive backs coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Education
Born in Los Angeles, Walker graduated from John Muir High School of Pasadena, California in 1978. Walker attended and played for Pasadena City College for two years before transferring to the University of Minnesota, where he was a two-year starter. In 1992, Walker completed his Bachelor of Arts in liberal arts at Regents College (now Excelsior College).
Career
Walker played for the Canadian Football League Edmonton Eskimos in 1982 and the USFL Oakland Invaders in 1984 and Arizona Outlaws in 1985. Walker was Pete Carroll"s first hire once he became head coach of the University of Southern California Trojans in 2001. Walker oversaw the secondary and had spent the previous three seasons in a similar role with the New 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".
Between University of Southern California and coaching the University of California, Los Angeles Bruins, Walker was a secondary coach for the National Football League Washington Redskins and New York Giants. He has also coached for the New England Patriots and at Mount San Antonio College, Utah State, Brigham Young University, Oklahoma State and California.
University of California, Los Angeles Bruins
In December 2006, his defense held the rival University of Southern California Trojans under 10 points for the first time since 2001. lieutenant helped the Bruins end a seven-game losing streak in the University of California, Los Angeles- University of Southern California rivalry.
Following the dismissal of University of California, Los Angeles 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. Brigham Young University beat University of California, Los Angeles 17–16 when Brigham Young University Cougars defensive lineman Eathyn Manumaleuna blocked a 28-yard field goal as time expired. 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 replace Kent Baer as defensive coordinator at the University of Washington. On January 1, 2008, Sporting News columnist Tom Dienhart reported that Walker had accepted the offer.
The story, however, turned out to be untrue, as Los Angeles Times reporter Chris Foster reported that Walker would stay at University of California, Los Angeles and remain defensive coordinator for the Bruins. The Sporting News later retracted the story.
Walker interviewed for the University of California, Los Angeles Bruin head coaching position and was one of the leading candidates for the position along with Rick Neuheisel, First Rate (at Lloyd's) Golden of Temple, and Norm Chow.
The job eventually went to Neuheisel and Walker remained as defensive coordinator. New Mexico State
On December 31, 2008, Walker was named head coach at New Mexico State University. Walker became the second African-American coach in school history and the seventh African-American FBS coach at that time.
Jacksonville Jaguars
On January 22, 2013, it was reported that Walker would leave New Mexico State in favor of the Defensive Backs job with the Jacksonville Jaguars.