CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Austin Peay  introduced Scotty Walden as the 21st head football coach in school history Monday at the Winfield Dunn Center.

“What an exciting day for our department of athletics, our football program and all of our fans across Stacheville,” said Austin Peay interim president Dannelle Whiteside in her opening remarks. “It is my pleasure to formally welcome the newest member of our Governor family Scotty Walden…I was really struck by his passion, his excitement, leadership and most importantly his character. I am confident that under his leadership, our student athletes will remain champions both on the field and in the classroom.”

According to Austin Peay athletic director Gerald Harrison, it was a Walden’s exuberance and creativity that ultimately led to the hiring of the now youngest active coach at the Division I level.

“We started the process of evaluating our coaching situation immediately following the Cincinnati game,” Harrison said. “Throughout the process, I met several outstanding coaches. Each of them had a vision for the future of Austin Peay football…However, there was not a candidate with a vision for our tomorrow with such an addictive passion and a true desire not to just be a head coach, but to be the head coach at Austin Peay and lead our student athletes like Scotty Walden.

“I have described Scotty as a new-age CEO for a new era of college football and frankly a different type of student athlete. I am confident that he (Walden) understands and believes in our total Gov concept and will continue our positive trajectory while even taking us higher.”

Austin Peay State University football coach Scotty Walden is introduced to Clarksville in November 2020.

Walden comes to Clarksville from Southern Miss after spending four games as the Golden Eagles interim head coach.

“I grew up in a single parent home,” Walden said in his opening address. “The coaches in my life were my father figures. That’s the bottom line. My coaches played several roles in my life and I wanted to emulate those men. Coaching is my calling and a passion. I’m so blessed and honored to get to do it every day.”

In 2013, Walden arrived at East Texas Baptist University as offensive coordinator, serving under former Austin Peay interim head coach Joshua Eargle.

“Josh and I have a great relationship,” Walden said. “We talk almost weekly. I look at Coach Eargle as mentor. I’m a big person on loyalty and the guys that believe in me when not a lot of people do. He and I stay in real close touch and he and his family really mean a lot to me.”

The Governors made history last fall, winning the Ohio Valley Conference for the first time in over 40 years.

Walden inherits a potent offense that features a stable of dynamic wide receivers and a highly-touted freshman running back.

“I’m excited about everybody right now,” Walden said. “I’m still learning names and figuring it out, but we have a lot of strengths on the offensive side of the ball as well as the defensive side of the ball to go and compete at a very high level.”

Walden will call the plays on offense and also serve as quarterbacks coach.

As far as a new philosophy implementation goes, Walden wants his players to be disciplined and hold everyone accountable from the top-down.

“In terms of talking on the field from an offensive, defensive and special teams standpoint, we’re going to have three characteristics of what style of team we’re going to be,” Walden said. “Fearless, fast and physical. We’re going to play with an edge. When you see the red and black play on Sundays this spring, you’re going to see a group of men play with their hair on fire and no matter what play hard.”

A number of media members have compared Walden to current Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingbury based on a similarity in age and innovative playcalling. Kingsbury recently offered a glowing endorsement of the 30-year-old up-and-coming coach.

Walden shared how he felt when seeing such a prominent current member of the football world offer him an immense amount of praise.

“It means a lot,” Walden said. “He’s the standard of offensive football in a lot of realms. I emailed about 100 guys when I got my first OC job at age 22 and there was only two people that responded. Kliff Kingsbury was one of them. It means a ton to answer your question to have such a high-profile and well respected coach like him say those things. His humbleness is what sticks out to me more than anything.”

Walden is anxious to get to work in preparation for his Governor debut when Austin Peay kicks off their spring slate on Sunday, February 21, 2021 at Tennessee Tech.

“We’re in the process of evaluating everything,” Walden said. “Regardless of who we hire or retain, we’re going to put a staff around these young men that love football and make sure that they have every resource to be successful on and off the field. That’s my job first and foremost.”