LSU men’s basketball coach Matt McMahon on Wednesday announced the addition of Vince Walden to his coaching staff for the 2025-26 season.
Walden comes to LSU after a six-year stint at Texas A&M, serving as an assistant coach this past season.
In all, Walden brings more than two decades of player development, recruiting and high-level program experience across college basketball and elite prep ranks.
The Aggies went to the NCAA Tournament each of the last three seasons with 20-plus wins each of the last four years.
“Vince Walden will be a great teammate on our coaching staff and will serve as an excellent mentor for our players,” said Coach McMahon. “He is a positive, driven, and talented coach who comes from a winning background. I am looking forward to the impact he is going make on our program in player development, scouting, recruiting, and more.”
He came to the Aggies after two seasons as assistant coach at Arkansas State. Prior to his time with the Red Wolves, Walden had two stints with IMG Academy basketball program in Bradenton, Florida from 2006-12 and 2015-17 as the national team head coach.
Walden was a 2017 Naismith Trophy High School Boys Coach of the Year finalist, guiding IMG Academy to a 26-2 record in 2016-17, as well as an appearance in the Dick’s Sports Goods High School Nationals as the No. 2 seed.
He helped the team to a No. 1 ranking in the Max Preps poll in 2016-17 and finished with a 53-12 record over his last two seasons with the Ascenders.
As head coach at IMG Academy, he oversaw four basketball teams and four coaches and was responsible for retention, player transitions and organizing future plans for graduating seniors. He was widely credited with building a culture that was centered on a positive and energetic atmosphere for players while teaching team and individual skills that developed character and leadership qualities both on and off the court.
Walden spent three seasons from 2012-15 as an assistant coach at Liberty and was an integral part in Liberty’s 2013 Big South Tournament championship run and NCAA appearance.
Prior to joining the Liberty staff, Walden had his first stint with IMG as the national team head coach and recruiting coordinator from 2006-12. He compiled a record of 146-56 in that span and had a combined record of 201-68 in his time with the Ascenders. He also during his head coaching time there coached former LSU basketball player Emmitt Williams.
Walden has coached or developed more than 50 professional players, including 2014 second round NBA Draft picks Dwight Powell and DeAndre Daniels.
“I am honored and blessed to join Coach McMahon and the LSU basketball family,” said Walden. “I want to thank Coach McMahon for believing in me and giving me this opportunity to be part of the vision he’s building here. His leadership and the staff he has assembled are tremendous, and I’m excited to contribute along them. LSU has one of the proudest traditions and most passionate fan bases in college basketball. I look forward to pouring energy into this program, helping out student-athletes grow on and off the court, and competing for Championships.”
Walden, a native of Suffolk, Virginia, graduated with a degree in social work from Longwood in 2001, where he was a four-year letterwinner in basketball (1994-98) and a three-year captain for the Lancers.
Walden and his wife, LaKeesha, have a daughter Kari (11), and two sons, Vince Jr. (16) and Zach (14).
The hiring is pending the normal background checks and approval by the LSU Board of Supervisors.
https://lsusports.net/news/2025/08/27/vince-walden-joins-lsu-basketball-staff-as-assistant-coach
