CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Austin Peay is finalizing a deal to hire Southern Miss interim coach Scotty Walden as its next head football coach, sources tell Newschannel 5. The story was first reported by Yahoo’s Pete Thames.
Walden will not coach USM’s game against Rice on Saturday and will head to Austin Peay immediately to begin building a staff for a spring football season in the OVC set to begin Feb. 21st.
Walden, 30, was the youngest coach in the FBS this year after taking over as interim coach when Jay Hopson abruptly resigned following a season-opening upset loss to South Alabama.
He previously was the youngest head coach at any level when he was hired at East Texas Baptist at age 26. Known as an offensive innovator with a spread, pass heavy attack, Walden was hired as the receivers coach at Southern Miss in 2016.
Walden heads to Austin Peay after Mark Hudspeth resigned over the summer under mysterious circumstances, citing the need to spend more time with his family. Hudspeth led the Governors to a school record 11 wins last season and their first-ever trip to the FCS Playoffs.
The hire of Walden is reminiscent of Austin Peay’s decision to hire Will Healy five years ago. Like Healy, Walden is young and energetic, but has little major college head coaching experience. Healy made waves at Austin Peay, turning around the worst program in the country, both in recruiting and in on-field results, in just three years. He is now the head coach at Charlotte.
Walden’s departure means Southern Miss is now on to its third head coach of the season as associate head coach Tim Billings takes over. Billings filled in last Saturday against Liberty after Walden tested positive for COVID-19.
In three games on the sideline as head coach, Walden lead Southern Miss to a 1-2 record. He inherits an Austin Peay squad that went 0-3 this fall under interim coach Marquase Lovings, losing the FCS Kickoff Classic to Central Arkansas and road games to FBS programs Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.
