Ventura College hires former baseball coach Jimmy Walker as its athletic director

Jimmy Walker feels like he’s gone from the coach of one team to 19.

The former Santa Clara High and Ventura College baseball coach was officially hired as Ventura College’s permanent athletic director this month after filling the role on an interim basis for one year.

“It helped being in the chair for a year,” Walker said. “I was able to be around the athletes, hear their stories and try to figure out ways to help them be successful.”

Walker replaces Will Cowen, who left after 10 years in the role to become the Director of Player Development for Florida State University women’s basketball in July 2018.

Aquatics coach Mary Giles and Walker filled the role on an interim basis over the past two years.

“Over the last year, Jimmy Walker has proven he has the knowledge, ability, and skill to lead Ventura College sports,” said VC president Kim Hoffmans in a statement. “I appreciate his tireless work … and I look forward to his continued contributions to our tremendously successful athletic programs.”

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As a former baseball player at Monterey Peninsula College and UC Santa Barbara who played three years in the minor leagues, Walker understands the two-year level and how it feeds into the four-year and professional levels.

“The transition has been pretty smooth,” Walker said. “I’ve been coaching organized baseball since I was 18, so I’ve been doing it for almost 20 years. I just felt it was a good time for myself and my family to transition into an administrative role.”

Walker spent two years as the VC head baseball coach, coaching the Pirates to their second Western State Conference championship in 30 years in 2019.

As the head coach at Santa Clara High, Walker led the Saints to their first playoff berth in 20 years in 2012 and first league title in 22 years in 2014.

Walker spent the interim period attempting to integrate athletics “more into our student body” and reaching out to community youth organizations and businesses.

He mentioned alums like James Ennis of the Orlando Magic and the three members of the Ventura College football team who recently joined NFL teams as examples of the “high-quality entertainment” VC can provide to the local community.

“In addition to the business of intercollegiate athletics,” said Cowen, “Jimmy understands and values the unique relationship Ventura College has with the greater Ventura area.”

Having passed his first test, Walker knows the community college system is facing a bigger challenge in the form of the coronavirus pandemic and its financial fallout.

“Ventura College is a launching pad for young men and women,” Walker said. “We have to figure out how to keep it that way.”

The state budget outlook could mean $1 billion in cuts to the California community college system during a period in which fundraising could become even more difficult.

“it’s going to be tough to go out and ask for large sums of money when everyone is struggling,” Walker said. “We’re going to have to figure out as a department what our priorities are.”

Walker said he plans to focus on having necessities like “equipment, uniforms, transportation” in place for “when we find out we can play.”

“We’re going to have to live within our means until the cycle turns,” Walker said.

After playing for the San Angelo Colts, Duluth-Superior Dukes and the Kansas City T-Bones in the minor leagues, Walker began his coaching career in 2003 as the pitching coach at Monterey Peninsula College and Monterey High, where he won a section title in 2005.

He was the assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator at Cal State Monterey Bay from 2005 to 2010.

Joe Curley covers college sports for The Star. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com.