Women's Soccer
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- jameswalker@creighton.edu
The Jimmy Walker era in Crieghton women’s soccer got off to a promising start, guiding the Bluejays to eight victories in his first season, but bigger and better things appear to be on the horizon for the program.
Named the sixth head coach in Creighton Women’s Soccer history on Nov. 21, 2023, Walker led Creighton to an 8-7-2 record and a fourth place finish in the BIG EAST, hosting the opening round of the BIG EAST Tournament for the first time in program history. In addition to an improved record, Walker’s squad had program-record crowds, including a single game record of 3,670 during its 10th annual Socctoberfest match against No. 19 Saint Louis on Sept. 6.
Senior Azumi Manriki earned Second Team All-BIG EAST and United Soccer Coaches Association All-East Region Third Team honors, while fellow senior’s Ariana Mondiri and Stella Downing were also named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team.
Additionally, four members of his first team (Lara Kazandjian, Clara Kulick, Mondiri and Ella Offer) were honored for their work in the classroom with a spot on College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.
Walker enters his second season as head coach at Creighton with an impressive past on the pitch.
Before coming to Creighton, Walker led Bowling Green State to a pair of Mid-American Conference titles in the past four years, going 36-19-11 with the Falcons.
“I’m excited to welcome Coach Walker as our head women’s soccer coach,” said Blossom. “Jimmy is a passionate leader, purposeful developer and tireless recruiter that has earned success at many levels. I look forward to supporting him, his staff and our student-athletes as they compete for BIG EAST championships.”
“It’s a really exciting opportunity that I’m looking forward to diving into,” said Walker. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the administration from Creighton. Marcus has been great to work with. I really enjoyed our interactions, and I love the vision he has for Creighton Athletics.”
Walker owns a 176-95-26 record in 16 seasons as a head coach, which includes stops at Tiffin (1997-2002), Duquesne (2003-06), Findlay (2018-19) and Bowling Green State (2020-23). He is a seven-time Conference Coach of the Year, a three-time Regional Coach of the Year, and in 2000 while at Tiffin was the runner-up for the BRINE National Coach of the Year award.
He also served for two seasons as the recruiting coordinator and top assistant for the men’s soccer program at Penn State (2007-08), and was the Executive Director of Coaching at Pacesetter Soccer Club from 2011-18. Pacesetter were partners with Aston Villa Football Club of the EPL. During Walker's Coaching Career at all levels he has helped produce over 75 professional players in leagues and countries all over the world.
The native of Birmingham, England, has won 15 conference regular-season or tournament titles in addition to making eight national tournament appearances. His teams are also a regular on the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award list, including a 3.74 GPA in 2022-23 while at BGSU.
His teams have advanced to a postseason tournament and earned national or regional rankings at each college program he’s coached at. Walker’s team won the BG Athletics Services to the Community Award in 2023, as well as a proclamation from the Mayor of Bowling Green for service to the community.
Walker’s 2020 Bowling Green State team shared the NCAA lead in shutout percentage (.750) and closed the regular-season ranked No. 29 in the RPI. His 2021 club won the MAC regular-season and tournament titles, were ranked No. 4 in the final Midwest Region poll, and was the first in program history to receive Top 25 votes.
His final team at Findlay in 2019 became the first in program history to make the NCAA Tournament. The Oilers were ranked in the Top 25 nationally, and Walker was named the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.
His tenure at Duquesne was highlighted by a 10-6-1 record in 2005 and the program’s first Atlantic 10 Tournament appearance. The 10 victories and .618 win percentage were a school-record at the time.
His first head coaching job came at Tiffin, where his team won five American Mideast Conference titles and went
45-2-1 in league play during his tenure. The Dragons reached the program’s first Sweet 16, and was the
top-ranked team in the Region at one point. Walker was named AMC Coach of the Year in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002.
“When the Creighton job came open, with the soccer tradition, the facilities, the resources and one of the best conferences in the country, it’s a really good opportunity for me and my family to take in the next step in my coaching journey,” noted Walker. “I can’t wait to get to work with the players, and I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead.”
Walker earned a pair of degrees from Tiffin University, picking up his Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management & Business in 1997 and later earning his Master’s degree in Business Administration in 2000. He also has his UEFA B License and earned his United Soccer Coaches Premier Coaching Diploma in 2013.
Following his collegiate career, Walker was a preliminary draft pick for New England Revolution of MLS before going on to play professionally with the Kalamazoo Kingdom (1996-98) and Cleveland Whitecaps (1999). He was a two-time NAIA All-American at Tiffin and earned three All-Great Lakes Region, District 22 and Mid-Ohio Conference honors over his four year career. He helped lead the Dragons to two MOC Championships and was named MOC Player of the Year in 1994. Walker was inducted into the Tiffin University Hall of Fame in 2006.
Walker played with the Academy team at Aston Villa in the English Premier League and spent time at Notts County, Boston & Sutton before coming to the United States. His father, James, played and coached professionally in England for over 25 years. His father played for Derby County, which captured two EPL championship crowns, and also coached in the English Premier League with Aston Villa for 15 years where he was the Director of Sports Science for the club.
Walker is married to the former Kerri Destatte. They have two daughters, Emma and Anna.
WALKER YEAR-BY-YEAR AS A HEAD COACH
1997 Tiffin 7-10-4
1998 Tiffin 16- 6-0
1999 Tiffin 16- 4-0
2000 Tiffin 18- 2-0
2001 Tiffin 15- 3-1
2002 Tiffin 12- 8-0
2003 Duquesne 8-10-2
2004 Duquesne 9-10-1
2005 Duquesne 10- 6-1
2006 Duquesne 4-10-2
2018 Findlay 11- 4-2
2019 Findlay 14- 3-2
2020 Bowling Green State 6- 1-1
2021 Bowling Green State 11- 7-3
2022 Bowling Green State 9- 5-5
2023 Bowling Green State 10- 6-2
2024 Creighton 8-7-2
Career Record 184-102-28 (17 seasons)
What Others Are Saying About Jimmy Walker
“Jimmy is one of the most talented coaches in the country. His teams are always tough, talented and organized. Creighton made a great hire when they appointed Jimmy. I have no doubt that Jimmy will be very successful at Creighton.” – Nate Norman, Notre Dame head coach
“Jimmy is a proven winner that has been successful at every place that he has coached. He has an excellent ability to connect with players and he’s known as a quality and relentless recruiter. His teams are always committed and competitive – and certainly not fun to play against! I believe that Jimmy is an excellent hire for Creighton and a great addition to the BIG EAST Conference! - Nate Lie, Xavier head coach
"Jimmy is tremendous at building a culture that gets results. He empowers his athletes to be the best version of themselves, which in turn creates an amazing team atmosphere. Every program he has been at, he has surrounded himself with people who are growth minded and commit the energy and time needed to build the foundation from the ground up. He’s going to do great things at Creighton." – Dave DiIanni, Iowa head coach
