ATHENS, W.Va. – Concord University Director of Athletics
Kevin Garrett announced the hiring of Dave Walker as the 20
th head football coach at Concord on Monday, December 23, 2019.
Walker comes from Martinsburg High School in Martinsburg, West Virginia where he built the Bulldogs into one of the most successful programs in the entire history of high school football in the state.
In addition to his coaching duties in the state's eastern panhandle, he was also Martinsburg's Athletic Director and Assistant Principal.
Walker just finished winning his fourth consecutive Class AAA State Championship earlier in the month, and led Martinsburg to 56 straight wins—the second-longest active winning streak in the entire country—before assuming the head coaching role at Concord.
"I'm honored to be part of the Concord family. I'd like to thank President Boggess and the selection committee along with Athletic Director
Kevin Garrett for giving me this opportunity to represent Concord University as the head football coach," Walker said.
"I'm excited to be back in southern West Virginia and I look forward to getting to work to get the process underway," he continued.
Under Walker's leadership at Martinsburg, the Bulldogs have won a total of eight state championships (2010-13, 2016-19) while playing in a total of 12 state championship games since 2001. Overall, the Pineville, West Virginia native amassed over 300 wins in 32 seasons as a head coach, including his time spent at East Hardy High School in Baker, West Virginia. His 53 playoff wins between his time at East Hardy and Martinsburg are a state record.
Walker is no stranger to rebuilding football programs. Before arriving at East Hardy, the Cougars had only one seven games in the previous nine seasons. Under Walker, East Hardy made the postseason in seven straight seasons. A similar rebuild was needed at Martinsburg. After taking over the program in 1997, the Bulldogs have made the Class AAA playoffs in each of the last 22 seasons. During that time, Walker has racked up 248 career wins.
"We are extremely excited about having David taking the football program in a new direction," Garrett said. "He has had unpresented success for the past 32 years and we are looking forward to the winning attitude he's going to bring to the football program."
Some notable players to play at Martinsburg under the new Concord head coach is two-time Kennedy Award Winner—given to the state's top prep football player—is Brandon Barrett who claimed the award in back-to-back seasons in 2002 and 2003 as well as current Shepherd quarterback Tyson Bagent, who finished second in passing yards in Division II this season. Bagent was the signal caller for the 2016 and 2017 state championship teams. Walker also tutored the 2019 WVMetroNews Player of the Year, Jarod Bowie. The do-it-all receiver is also in consideration to be Walker's second Kennedy Award Winner.
This past season, Martinsburg ran through all of its competition as it outscored teams by an average of 61.3 to 8.7 points per game. The closest game for the Bulldogs did not come until the Class AAA Championship game in which Martinsburg won by 28 points, 49-21.
Walker received his undergraduate degree from Glenville State in 1988. At GSC, he was a two-time All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) offensive lineman in 1986 and 1987. At the conclusion of his career, he received Glenville State's Montrose Award—an honor given out to the top senior student-athlete for performance in competition as well as service and leadership off the playing field. Additionally, he is a 2016 inductee into Glenville State's Athletic Hall of Fame.
Before his playing days as a Pioneer, Walker starred at Pineville High School in Wyoming County.
Walker has two master's degrees, both from Shenandoah University, in Education (1997) and Administration (2002).
He has two sons, Derek and Troy.
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