UTEP is expected to name Scotty Walden its next head coach, sources told FootballScoop on Monday.
Walden, 34, spent the past four seasons as the head coach at Austin Peay, going 26-14. He never had a losing seasons in his four campaigns leading the Governors, and topped out with a United Athletic Conference championship and an FCS playoff appearance this fall.
First profiled by FootballScoop in 2013, Walden burst on the scene by leading the entire NCAA in yardage as a 22-year-old offensive coordinator at Sul Ross State, a Division III school in far West Texas.
That success led him to East Texas Baptist, where he became the head coach at age 27 and went 7-3 in his one season at the school. He then took the wide receivers job at Southern Miss, where he was appointed interim head coach during the 2020 season.
The Cleburne, Texas, native returns to the Motherland with a history of producing elite offense. The 2023 Governors ranked fourth in FCS in passing efficiency, as quarterback Mike DiLiello ranked second in the nation with 3,164 passing yards while completing 67 percent of his 362 throws for 8.74 yards per attempt. Austin Peay averaged 34.1 points per game, ninth in the nation.
He joins a UTEP program that has struggled to build a consistent winner on the outposts of FBS. The Miners have enjoyed two winning seasons since 2005. Head coach Dana Dimel was let go Nov. 26 after posting a 20-49 record in six seasons on the job.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.