UTEP is hiring Austin Peay head coach Scotty Walden to be its next head coach. Here’s what you need to know:
- The Miners fired Dana Dimel, who went 20-49 in six seasons with the school, after a 3-9 campaign this year.
- Walden has been at Austin Peay since November 2020. Before that, he served as interim head coach at Southern Miss after Jay Hopson resigned one game into the 2020 season.
- Walden was named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, given to the best head coach in the FCS, after the Governors made the playoffs for the second time in program history.
A young and energetic offensive mind.
Welcome to the 915, Coach Walden!
📰 #PicksUp
— UTEP Football (@UTEPFB) December 4, 2023
Why UTEP chose Walden
The Miners went for youth and a strong offensive identity in their search, and that was evident insome of the candidates, including the 34-year-old Walden, UNLV offensive coordinator Brennan Marion (36) and Texas Tech offensive coordinator Zach Kittley (32). But Walden brings college head coaching experience, which is hard to find at his age and something UTEP valued in the process.
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His offensive prowess will be welcomed in a UTEP program that finished last in Conference USA in scoring (19.9 points per game). His energy should garner support from a hungry fan base. The Miners have enough talent to be competitive in the conference, and if they can make a quick turnaround offensively, there’s no reason Walden shouldn’t have UTEP contending for a bowl berth. — Sam Khan Jr.
What does UTEP need from its new era?
This is one of the toughest jobs in the FBS from a resource standpoint. It has reached just three bowl games since 2006, the facilities are behind, and West Texas isn’t the recruiting area it used to be. But Walden’s energetic personality and high-octane offense should inject a lot of excitement into the program again. In Conference USA, that should provide the program an opportunity to move back up the ladder. Walden is also a Texan who played in the western part of the state, so he’s got connections to rebuild this program. — Chris Vannini
(Photo: Eakin Howard / Getty Images)
