Innovative and energetic are two words Austin Peay State University Vice President and Director of Athletics Gerald Harrison used to describe his hiring of Scotty Walden as the University’s 21st head football coach in November 2020.
In his third season at Austin Peay, Walden led the Governors to the 2022 ASUN Conference Football Championship. He then agreed in February 2023 to a contract extension through the 2025 season.
Walden, who at age 30 when he was hired was the youngest head coach at the Division I level, has led the Governors to 17 wins in his first three seasons – in just over two calendar years. He already is tied for the seventh most wins in program history and is three victories away from becoming the fifth head coach to win 20 games at Austin Peay.
In five of six semesters since Walden arrived, the Austin Peay football team has posted a 3.00 team grade-point average, including a program record 3.28 GPA during the spring 2022 semester. The Governors also claimed the 2020-21 and 2021-22 OVC Team Academic Achievement Awards, which were presented annually in each of the 17 conference-sponsored sports to the member institution’s team with the greatest percentage of its eligible student-athletes who achieved a 3.25 GPA or higher.
Walden has had 28 players earn all-conference honors and four earn all-newcomer recognition at Austin Peay. During the 2020-21 season, DeAngelo Wilson became the third player in program history to be named the OVC Offensive Player of the Year and Draylen Ellis became the second Governor named OVC Freshman of the Year. The following year, Koby Perry was named the 2021 OVC Defensive Player of the Year, making him the third Gov to receive that award and the first since 1978.Â
Walden also has coached four Consensus All-America selections – Kordell Jackson (2020), Wilson (2020), Johnathon Edwards (2021), and Perry (2021) – during his time in Clarksville. Bucky Williams also was an American Football Coaches Association Second Team All-American and a HERO Sports Sophomore All-American in 2020; while Ellis and Terrell Allen received Sophomore All-America honors in 2021. Finally, Drae McCray picked up HERO Sports All-America honors in 2021.Â
Prior to joining Austin Peay, Walden served as head coach at Southern Miss to start the 2020 season. He was named the Golden Eagles’ head coach after the opening game of the 2020 campaign after three seasons on the USM staff, including one season as co-offensive coordinator.
Considered one of the youngest and brightest offensive minds in collegiate football, the American Football Coaches Association tabbed Walden as a Top 35 coach under 35 years of age in 2019.
Prior to his move to Southern Miss, Walden was the head coach at East Texas Baptist during the 2016 season. Promoted following Joshua Eargle’s departure to join Austin Peay’s coaching staff as offensive line coach and run game coordinator, he was the youngest head coach (26 years old) at any NCAA school that season. He led the Tigers to a 7-3 mark in his lone season at the ETBU helm, and they led all Division III teams in scoring offense (49.9 points per game) while finishing second in total offense (564.3 yards per game) and sixth in passing offense (365.3 yards per game).
In his three years as offensive coordinator at ETBU, Walden’s offense re-wrote the program’s record book for individual, single-game, and season records while being nationally known for passing and scoring. In his time as an assistant, ETBU football student-athletes broke a combined 26 individual and team records.
A highly regarded offensive innovator, Walden has shared his philosophies on the national level with his peers. In the summer of 2015, he was a special speaker at the Spread Offense Football Clinic in Chicago. His first national speaking engagement came when he was a special speaker at the 2012 Nike Coach of the Year Clinic in Dallas.
Walden and his wife Callie have a son, Luca.
WALDEN’S CAREER SUMMARY
Austin Peay (2020-current)
2022: Coaching his third season at Austin Peay in just over two calendar years, he led the Governors to their third conference title in program history with a 7-4 overall record and a 3-2 mark in the ASUN Conference. The Governors were the top defense in the ASUN, ranking fourth in the FCS in third-down conversion defense (.308), 12th in total defense (317.2 ypg), 19th in passing defense (188.7 pypg), and 32nd in scoring defense (22.2 ppg) – they led the conference in all four categories. The Govs also ranked second in the ASUN and 20th in the FCS in rushing defense, holding opponents to just 128.5 yards on the ground per game. The Austin Peay defense was one of just two in the FCS that posted multiple shutouts during the 2022 seasons. On offense, APSU averaged 202.3 rushing yards and 243.3 passing yards per game, marking the first time in program history that the Govs averaged 200-plus rushing and passing yards per game in the same season. Quarterback Mike DiLiello became just the fourth Gov to throw 20 touchdowns and the seventh to pass for 2,000 yards in a season when he threw for 21 touchdowns and 2,447 yards, which were the fourth and fifth-best marks in program history, respectively. Wide receiver Drae McCray also became just the fourth 1,000-yard receiver in program history when he hauled in 76 catches for 1,021 yards and nine touchdowns. McCray’s 76 catches are the third-best season in APSU history and his nine scoring grabs are tied for the sixth-best single-season total in program history.
2021: Became only the third head coach in program history to record double-digit wins in their first 18 games. His 10 wins trailed only College Football Hall of Fame coach Boots Donnelly (12 wins, 1977-78) and Watson Brown (11). The Govs tied a program record with seven First Team All-OVC selections and the team’s 14 All-OVC picks set a record with six underclassmen recognized. In addition, defensive backs Johnathan Edwards and Koby Perry became the first Austin Peay teammates to be named Consensus All-Americans in the same season. Perry also was named OVC Defensive Player of the Year, the first APSU athlete to earn that honor since 1978.
2020: Named Austin Peay head coach on Nov. 2, 2020, and led the Governors during a six-game Ohio Valley Conference schedule that was played in Spring 2021. Led APSU to a 4-2 record in his first league campaign and had nine players earn All-OVC honors. In his first season, wide receiver DeAngelo Wilson and quarterback Draylen Ellis were the league’s offensive and newcomer of the year, respectively.Â
Southern Miss (2017-20)
2020: Named head coach prior to Week 2 contest after Jay Hopson announced his resignation. USM won his debut, defeating North Texas, and he was head coach for four games before taking over at Austin Peay.Â
2019: Elevated to co-offensive coordinator prior to the season while continuing role as wide receivers coach. Wide receiver Quez Watkins was a First Team All-Conference USA selection after leading all conference receivers with 64 receptions and 1,178 receiving yards (17th in FBS), while his 107.1 receiving yards per game ranked sixth among FBS receivers. Watkins was selected in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. Southern Miss was selected to play in the 2019 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl.
2018: Continued duties as wide receivers coach. Wide receiver Quez Watkins earned his first First Team All-CUSA honors after leading USM with 72 catches for 889 yards while his 6.5 receptions per game led all C-USA receivers.
2017: Hired by Southern Miss as wide receivers and tight ends coach. Coached wide receiver Allenzae Staggers to 44 receptions and 471 yards during his rookie season. Southern Miss played in the Walk-On’s Independence Bowl.
East Texas Baptist (2013-16)
2016: Named head coach at ETBU following Joshua Eargle’s departure to join Austin Peay’s coaching staff under Will Healy. Was the youngest head coach (26 years old) at an NCAA football program that season. In his lone year at the ETBU helm, the Tigers led all NCAA teams in scoring offense (49.9 points per game) while finishing second in total offense (564.3 yards per game) and sixth in passing offense (365.3 yards per game). Wide receiver Chase Sojka finished the season with 83 receptions for 1,074 yards and Richard Johnson added 911 yards on 52 receptions.Â
2015: Member of staff that led Tigers’ to a share of the 2015 American Southwest Conference championship, the program’s first title since 2003. His offense produced four All-ASC first-team selections that season, two of whom also received D3football.com All-Region awards, and two were USA Football Network All-American team picks. Wide receiver Tyler Bates recorded 1,251 yards on 74 receptions that season as quarterback Josh Warbington passed for 2,180 yards and finished 28th among Division III passers with a 157.5 pass efficiency rating.
2014: Coached Warbington to 2014 Gagliardi Trophy semifinalist honors after he passed for a program-record 3,580 yards, and his Division III-leading 358.0 passing yards per game. The Tigers offense also produced two 1,000-yard receivers as Stephen Alfred finished the season with 1,210 yards on 84 receptions while Tyler Bates posted 1,156 yards on 59 receptions. ETBU led all Division III teams in total passing offense (368.1 ypg) while finishing second in total offense (566.1 ypg) and 11th in scoring offense (42.3 ppg). Walden was a special speaker at the 2015 Spread Offense Football Clinic in Chicago.
2013: Hired as Tigers offensive coordinator by Joshua Eargle. ETBU’s offense finished his first season ranked 27th among Division III programs with 455.0 yards per game and 16th in passing offense (295.0 ypg). Jarmain Sherman posted 1,084 receiving yards on 73 receptions and Warbington passed for 1,876 yards in his first season under center.
Sul Ross State (2012)
2012: Began his collegiate coaching career in spring 2012 while still an undergraduate at Sul Ross State. That fall, the Lobos named him their offensive coordinator, and in his rookie season, the SRSU offense led all of NCAA with 581.9 yards and 48.8 points per game. His offense produced two D3Football.com All-Americans and six All-ASC products. Sul Ross State broke 16 overall offensive school records, including most single-game marks in offensive yards (800) and points (75). Due to his success as a rookie offensive coordinator, Walden coached the quarterbacks at the National Bowl Game in December 2012, which included a pair of Sul Ross State student-athletes. His first national speaking engagement came when he was a special speaker at the 2012 Nike Coach of the Year Clinic in Dallas.
COLLEGIATE PLAYING CAREER (2008-11)
An NCAA Division III product, Walden was the starting quarterback at both Dordt College (2008) and Sul Ross State University (2011), sandwiching two seasons at Hardin-Simmons (2009-10). In his senior season (2011), he was the team captain and team Leadership award recipient. Walden was a two-time All-ASC academic winner and started his freshman season at Dordt College. During his two seasons at Hardin-Simmons (2009-10), he played as both a quarterback and defensive back.
