Bio

In 2023-24, Bart Walker enters his ninth season - the seventh during his second stint - as head coach for the women's basketball team at Northwest Florida State College.

Walker claimed his second NJCAA National Championship in 3 years after a 29-4 record in 2022-23. Earning National Coach of the Year honors, Walker recruited Sakima Walker, the first National Player of the Year in NWF Women's Basketball history, en route to heading to the University of South Carolina to continue her playing career.

In the 2021-22 season, Walker led the Raiders to a 27-3 record and won the FCSAA/Region VIII Tournament. Guard Last-Tear Poa was named a First Team NJCAA All-American and was also awarded Tournament MVP for the Region VIII Tournament for the 2nd year in a row.

In 2020-21, Walker led Northwest Florida to its first-ever NJCAA Women's Basketball National Championship posting a 24-2 overall record and a 15-1 mark in Panhandle Conference play. The Raiders were ranked in the top 5 in the NJCAA poll throughout the year, including two weeks at No. 1. Under Walker five student-athletes were named All-Panhandle Conference and Chanaya Pinto was tabbed an NJCAA All-American.

Walker was named Panhandle Conference and NJCAA Coach of the Year. His team won the first 10 games of the year to run its winning streak to 19 games before falling by one point to No. 3 Chipola. The Raiders led the nation in defense allowing just 49.4 points per game. The team also paced the nation shooting 46.5 percent from the field as a unit.

In the NJCAA National Tournament, the Raiders defeated Otero, South Plains, Three Rivers, and Trinity Valley to claim the sixth straight national title for a Panhandle Conference school. Guard Last-Tear Poa was named tournament MVP, while Masengo Mutanda and Chanaya Pinto earned All-Tournament honors.

In 2019-20, Walker led the Raiders to a 27-4 record, a regular season Panhandle Conference title, and an FCSAA/Region VIII Tournament title, the program's first since 1996. Northwest Florida earned the No. 3 seed in the NJCAA National Championship Tournament before the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Walker was named FCSAA/Region VIII Coach of the Year.

During the 2017-18 season, Walker led the team to a 24-7 record with an Elite Eight appearance at the NJCAA National Tournament in Lubbock, Texas. He followed that with a 26-6 campaign, a Panhandle Conference title, and another Elite Eight appearance in 2018-19.

Over his head coaching career, Walker has accumulated a record of 402-102. He has earned NJCAA regional Coach of the Year honors five times and made seven Elite Eight appearances at the NJCAA National Tournament.

Prior to his return to Niceville, Walker spent the 2017-18 season at Motlow State Community College. He led the Lady Bucks to a 27-6 overall record, including being ranked #18 nationally and a State Regional Final appearance as well as the school's first NJCAA Women's National Tournament appearance.

Before that he spent four seasons (2012-2016) at Tennessee Tech, where he helped lead the Golden Eagles to a Ohio Valley Conference title. 

Walker was the head women's basketball coach at Northwest Florida before moving back to Tennessee. In his two seasons as head coach, the Raiders went 38-16 and made a state regional semi-final apearance.

Prior to his first stint at NWF State, Walker spent four years at the helm of the Chattanooga State Tigers. During his four years as head coach, Walker led the Tigers to three straight state regional finals appearances, including a NJCAA National Tournament Elite 8 appearance in 2006.

Walker started his coaching career at Hiawassee College in Madisonville, Tenn. His teams earned two State Regional Championships and made two NJCAA National Touranment Elite 8 appearances in 2003 and 2004. He tallied an 81-35 record during his four years with the Tigers.

During his 12 years as a junior college head coach, Walker had over 90 players earn scholarships at four-year institutions after completing their junior college careers. He had the pleasure of coaching three first team All-Americans and six second-team or honorable mention All-Americans as well.

Walker received his Bachelors in Business Administration and Master of Arts in Administration and Supervision of Education from Lincoln Memorial University, and his Associate of Science from Walters State Community College.

 BART WALKER HEAD COACHING RECORD

*NJCAA National Tournament cancelled (COVID-19)