New Mexico State introduces UCLA's Walker as coach

LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- DeWayne Walker was introduced Wednesday as New Mexico State's new football coach, promising to reassert the Aggies in the conference and region.

"Anybody who comes in here, especially New Mexico and UTEP, we've got to let them have it," Walker said.

Walker, who spent three seasons as UCLA's defensive coordinator, is the seventh black head coach among the 119 major college football schools and fourth hired this month, along with Mike Locksley at New Mexico, Mike Haywood at Miami of Ohio and Ron English at Eastern Michigan.

NMSU athletic director McKinley Boston said Walker met his requirements of experience, being a successful recruiter and having "fire in the belly."

Walker was offered a five-year contract to replace Hal Mumme, who was fired in early December after the Aggies went 3-9 last fall, including a 1-7 mark in the Western Athletic Conference.

Walker, 48, has a major rebuilding project on his hands. The Aggies lost their last seven games to end the season and have gone longer than any other team since their last bowl appearance -- in the 1960 Sun Bowl.

Winning will take a change in attitude at New Mexico State, Walker said. Once the school changes its culture, the wins will take care of themselves, he said.

"We have to instill confidence in these young men," he said. "They're going to have to believe in me, and they're going to have to believe in the vision we have."

The new coach also has some plans off the field: He wants team members to be respectful.

"I want them to open doors for their girlfriends, I want them to say thank you. ... Those are some of the things we want to create as well as play football," he said.

"You have to be honest, you have to have integrity, you have to have character, you have to teach these young men to be men," Walker said.

Walker plans to start forming his coaching staff next week. He hinted it won't be an entirely new slate. "It's important to retain a coach or two because they know things you don't know," he said.

Walker said he not only has to recruit future Aggies who will believe in his vision, but he also has to "re-recruit" current team members "to buy into what we're trying to do."