Little information is available regarding Walden’s contract and salary with the Miners. There are estimates in the public arena with KTSM reporting that he will earn a similar figure to what former head coach Dimel would have earned in 2023, that figure is estimated to be $825,000.
Walden arrives at UTEP after four years leading Austin Peay of the FCS, compiling a 26-14. His stock has been on the rise, resulting in his ascension to an FBS head coaching role for the 2024 college football campaign.
At 34 years old, Walden is one of the youngest head coaches in college football, but he already has plenty of experience. The new UTEP leader took his first head coaching job in 2016 at East Texas Baptist at just the age of 26.
Then, in 2020, Southern Miss hired Walden as their interim head coach before he took the permanent head coaching role at Austin Peay.
However, Walden doesn’t see his age as an issue. Speaking to the El Paso Times, Walden said, “I’m a young guy, but I’ve got an old-soul mentality.”
“I was a head football coach at 26. It was a blessing to be a head coach at such a young age. I was thrown into the fire as head coach at 26. Coaching well over 40 games in my head coaching career, it’s taught me a lot.”
He also clearly knows what he wants to achieve with the Miners, both on and off the field. Walden says UTEP will “play complimentary football.” While having a predominately offensive mind, he wants the team to score highly.
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“We like points on the board, so we like throwing it downtown. But I’m a firm believer that to win championships, you have to run the football, and you have to play great defense.”
Speaking about his role away from the field, Walden has also sold a vision for recruiting. “We’re going to recruit the city of El Paso. You have to own your home base in recruiting. It starts here.”
Walden also wants to explore other areas of Texas. “Then we’re going to branch out to Texas high schools,” Walden claimed. “You go back to the T in UTEP. We’re going to make sure the state of Texas doesn’t forget about us out here in El Paso.”
