Allen University President Ernest McNealey and Director of Athletics Jasher Cox have named Shawn Walker the new Head Men’s Basketball Coach of the Yellow Jackets.
“Shawn Walker is a dynamic coach and an incredible educator of young men, who will work tirelessly to put his student-athletes in a position to succeed,” commented AD Cox. “He is the perfect choice to lead our men’s basketball program to a place of competing consistently at a high level.”
“Words can’t express the excitement that I have in joining Allen University and the athletic department as the new Head Men’s Basketball Coach,” said Coach Walker. “I am grateful to Dr. McNealy and AD Cox for giving me this awesome opportunity.”
“I am looking forward to new beginnings at AU and in the city of Columbia, South Carolina’s MOST POWERFUL CITY!”, exclaimed Walker.
Walker comes to Allen most recently from Shaw University in Raleigh, NC where he served as the Associate Head Women’s Basketball Coach for the 2022-23 season helping to lead the Lady Bears to an 18-14 record and a CIAA runner-up finish.
Before Shaw, Walker was the head men’s coach at Elizabeth City State (N.C.) from 2018-2022 and led his team to 40 wins including a 14-13 winning record in the `21-22 season. Walker, an ECSU alum, was also ECSU’s head men’s coach from 2003 to 2014 and the head women’s coach at ECSU during the 2001-02 season. While leading the ECSU men’s basketball program for 12 seasons, Walker led the Vikings to the 2007 CIAA men’s championship and amassed nearly 300 career wins during his tenure.
Prior to ECSU, Walker served as the head men’s basketball coach at Div. I Grambling State University in Louisiana from `2014-2017.
While at Grambling, Walker led the Division I team for three seasons amassing 25 wins and went 16-15 in his final year in `2016-17 to record Grambling’s first winning record since 1997.
Prior to his time in Elizabeth City, Walker served as the Voorhees College Head Men’s Coach from 1997-2001 winning two EIAC Championships while going 34-9 in the conference and leading his team to the NAIA National Tournament in the 1998-99 season. Walker also served as an assistant for the men’s program at ECSU during the 1996-97 season helping lead the team to a CIAA Northern Div. title as well as a Regional Championship and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA D-2 Tournament.
Walker, a Roper, North Carolina native, is a 1994 ECSU graduate where he received his B.S. degree in Exercise Science and Physical Education and was also an All-CIAA guard for ECSU in 1993 and 1994. Walker then received his Master’s degree in Sports Administration and Management from Slippery Rock University in 1998 while serving as a Grad Assistant for SRU men in the 1995-96 season.
Walker has also been inducted into the ECSU Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.
Walker is bringing a solid foundation in leadership to the campus community as well and is excited to meet his team and get on the recruiting trail immediately.
