Walt Wells
Walt Wells (born October 26, 1967) is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach at Eastern Kentucky University, a position he has held since 2019.[1]
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Eastern Kentucky |
| Conference | UAC |
| Record | 17–17 |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | October 26, 1967 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Belmont University |
| Playing career | |
| 1986–1989 | Austin Peay |
| Position(s) | Offensive lineman |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1994–1996 | Cumberland (TN) (AHC/OC) |
| 1997–1999 | Eastern Kentucky (TE) |
| 2000–2002 | Eastern Kentucky (OL) |
| 2003–2012 | Western Kentucky (OC/OL) |
| 2013 | South Florida (OC/OL) |
| 2014 | New Mexico State (OL) |
| 2015 | Eastern Kentucky (AHC/OL) |
| 2016 | Tennessee (OQC) |
| 2017 | Tennessee (OL) |
| 2018–2019 | Kentucky (QC) |
| 2020–present | Eastern Kentucky |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 17–17 |
| Tournaments | 0–1 (NCAA D-I playoffs) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| 2× ASUN Coach of the Year (2021–2022) AFCA FCS Region Number 3 Coach of the Year (2021) | |
Career
Wells has over 20 years of coaching experience as an offensive line coach and coordinator with previous stops at Eastern Kentucky (1997–2002, 2015), New Mexico State (2014), South Florida (2013) and Western Kentucky (2003–2012). He also coached at Cumberland University from 1994 to 1996 and Smryna High School from 1992 to 1993.[2]
On February 7, 2017, Walt Wells was promoted to offensive line coach at the University of Tennessee. He joined the Vols in the spring of 2016 as an offensive quality control coach, working primarily with the offensive line.[2]
On December 9, 2019, Wells was hired as the 15th head football coach at Eastern Kentucky University.[1]
Personal life
Wells earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Belmont University in 1993 after transferring from Austin Peay State University, where he played football. He also obtained a master's degree in human relations management from Cumberland University in 1995. Wells and his wife, Jennifer, have two children: Madison and K. J.[3]
On August 28, 2022, Walt Wells was hospitalized because he suffered a cardiac episode while at work.[4] On August 29, 2022, Chief of Staff Garry McPeek had to be named acting head coach.[5] On August 31, 2022, Wells was released from UK Hospital.[6]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Kentucky Colonels (ASUN Conference) (2020–2022) | |||||||||
| 2020 | Eastern Kentucky | 3–6 | * | ||||||
| 2021 | Eastern Kentucky | 7–4 | 4–2^ | T–2nd | |||||
| 2022 | Eastern Kentucky | 6–4^^ | 3–2 | T-2nd^^^ | L NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| Eastern Kentucky Colonels (United Athletic Conference) (2023–present) | |||||||||
| 2023 | Eastern Kentucky | 1–3 | 0–0 | ||||||
| Eastern Kentucky: | 17–17 | 7–4 | * Conference schedule not played due to COVID-19 pandemic
^ Conference record for the ASUN-WAC AQ7 Challenge ^^ Could not coach games vs. Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green due to health issues ^^^ Received the AQ7 Playoff bid due to Jacksonville State's transition to FBS | ||||||
| Total: | 17–17 | ||||||||
References
- "Walt Wells". EKU Sports. Eastern Kentucky University. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
- "Walt Wells". UT Sports. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- "Walt Wells Named Eastern Kentucky Head Football Coach". OVC Sports. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- "Statement On EKU Head Football Coach Walt Wells' Medical Episode". Eastern Kentucky University Athletics. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- "Garry McPeek Named EKU's Acting Head Football Coach". Eastern Kentucky University Athletics. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- "Update On EKU Head Coach Walt Wells". Eastern Kentucky University Athletics. Retrieved September 5, 2022.