Utah State University has announced the hiring of Tennessee Senior Deputy Athletics Director and Chief Strategy Officer Cameron Walker as the Aggies’ next director of athletics. Walker will fill the role vacated on July 21 by former AD Diana Sabau, who filled the position at USU for just over 700 days before leaving to take the deputy AD job at Maryland. Interim AD Sandy Barbour had filled the role since Sabau’s mid-summer departure.
“I am honored by the opportunity to lead Utah State Athletics and to continue building on the department’s positive momentum as it integrates into the Pac-12,” Walker said in the university’s press release Sunday afternnon. “Utah State has a promising future and significant potential, and I look forward to helping bring that vision to life. My family and I are excited to get to Cache Valley.”
Walker is a native of Rexburg, Idaho, competing as an athlete in baseball at both Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho) and later Southern Virginia where he earned his bachelor’s degree. He completed his Juris Doctorate degree at Arkansas.
Since completing his degrees, Walker has climbed the ladder of university leadership, starting at Utah Valley University where he held various roles, including Title IX deputy coordinator, student affairs senator for the Professional Association of Campus Employees, and associate athletics director. One of his most notable contributions included upgrading the Wolverine Service Center and obtaining funding via grants for that and other projects at UVU.
In 2018, Walker was hired by UCF as a senior associate athletics director, later receiving a promotion as an executive associate athletics director. His primary role was to oversee compliance along with serving as a member of the athletics executive staff along with the compliance and ethics advisory committee.
Walker worked under AD Danny White while at UCF, and when White was hired by Tennessee to be its AD in 2021, Walker followed him to the new school. Walker was given the role of senior deputy director of athletics and chief strategy officer and took on the associated roles. Those included overseeing compliance, legal affairs, facilities and Tennessee’s NIL efforts. He served as the sport administrator for the Volunteers’ men’s basketball team from 2021 to 2023 before moving to take the same role with the football team in 2024.
“Cameron is a highly regarded athletic administrator who knows what it takes to foster department-wide success in the new era of intercollegiate athletics,” USU Interim President Alan Smith said. “His breadth and depth of experience, local ties, and legal background make him the perfect individual to lead us into the reimagined Pac-12 and to write the next chapter for USU Athletics.”
According to USU, Walker will assume his role on Oct. 6. An introductory press conference is planned “later this week” though details have not been announced.
