DeAndre Walker - Men's Basketball Coach

DeAndre Walker

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
dwalke49@utm.edu
Phone:
731-881-7684

DeAndre Walker is in his seventh year on the Skyhawk staff and fifth as a full-time assistant coach in 2020-21. Walker was promoted to his current role after serving as the strength coach while also overseeing player development at UT Martin from 2014-16.

Since Walker's arrival at UT Martin, the Skyhawks have won 94 games (the most in any six-year span in the program's Division I history) and became the only Ohio Valley Conference team to win at least one postseason game in each of the 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. UT Martin has generated five postseason victories, won 20 games in each season for the first time in program history, won the first two OVC West division championships in school history and advanced to the first two OVC Tournament championship games in program history since Walker joined the program in 2014.

Last season, Walker mentored All-OVC and NABC All-District 18 honorees Quintin Dove and Parker Stewart. Dove was the only player in NCAA Division I to tally at least 20 points and seven rebounds per contest while shooting over 78 percent from the free throw line. Dove's 22.3 points per game in league play topped the OVC as he became the first UT Martin player to lead the conference in scoring since two-time All-American Lester Hudson in 2008-09. Meanwhile, Stewart was the lone NCAA Division I player to tally at least 19.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 three-point field goals made per outing. Stewart was named OVC Newcomer of the Week five times, joining Hudson as the only players in UT Martin history to win that award at least five times.

In 2018-19, the Skyhawks returned to the OVC Championship tournament once again, chalking up a first-round victory over Eastern Illinois. UT Martin has won three OVC Tournament games since Walker joined the Skyhawk bench in 2014 after the program had won just three such games in the 22 previous seasons as a member of the league.

Walker oversaw the development of Dove and Craig Randall II in 2018-19, as the duo combined to win six OVC Newcomer of the Week accolades. Dove earned All-OVC second team status as UT Martin won six of nine games down the stretch to emerge as one of the league's hottest teams.

In 2016-17, the Skyhawks tied a school record with 22 victories, establishing new single-season program records for points, field goals, rebounds and assists. UT Martin was crowned as the outright OVC West division champion for the first time ever while tallying the most home wins (14) and nonconference victories (10) since the school joined the Division-I ranks in 1992.

Walker played a key role in the Skyhawks' second consecutive 20-plus win campaign in 2015-16, as UT Martin clinched a share of its first-ever OVC West division championship. The Skyhawks also made the first appearance in the OVC Tournament championship game in school history.

In 2014-15, Walker helped develop a UT Martin squad that finished just one win shy of the school record (21) and tallied the first three postseason victories in the program's Division-I history (since 1992). The Skyhawks advanced all the way to the Final Four of the 2015 CIT thanks in large part to 12 road victories, which led the nation.

Before joining the Skyhawks, Walker served as head coach at Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio. He was the fifth head coach in the history of the program in 2013-14.

Before his head coaching appointment, Walker was an assistant coach at Ohio Dominican University in Columbus, Ohio.

After a standout prep career at Firestone High School, Walker began his collegiate playing career at Columbus State, where he played for two seasons (2000-02). He helped the Cougars to a 20-9 record and a 9-5 mark in the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference record during his freshman season.

Walker then transferred to Fairmont State University in Fairmont, W. Va. He guided the Falcons to a 37-21 record in his two seasons at the Division II school.

Walker played professionally from 2006-08. He began his career with the Columbus Cyclones of the International Basketball League, helping the team to a 20-3 record under head coach David Cecutti. He followed that with a stint with the Indiana Alleycats of the Continental Basketball Association, playing for head coach Carlos Knox. He also played with the Marysville Meteors of the International Basketball League (2007), Long Beach Summer Pro-Am League in Long Beach, Calif. (2007) and the Gary Steelheads of the International Basketball League (2008).

An Akron, Ohio native, Walker began his coaching career as a student assistant coach in 2004-05 at Fairmont State. He specialized in recruiting and player skill development. He also was tabbed as the president of Hidden Gems AAU Basketball program, with his best season coming in 2012 when the team posted a 33-19 overall record. He also served as an assistant coach with the King James AAU program.

Walker earned his Bachelor's degree in business management from Fairmont State in 2004. He earned his Master's degree in project management from Keller Graduate School of Management in 2016. He has one daughter, Arianna.