Rexburg native Cameron Walker named Utah State athletic director

LOGAN (KSL.com) — Utah State’s search for its next athletic director is reportedly coming to a close.

The Aggies are finalizing a five-year deal with Tennessee senior deputy athletic director and chief strategy officer Cameron Walker, as first reported by ESPN, Yahoo and others.

Utah State announced the move Sunday afteroon, noting Walker’s tenure will begin Oct. 6.

Walker replaces Diana Sabau, who took a job as deputy athletic director at Maryland following less than two years in Logan. Under Sabau’s leadership, the Aggies won Mountain West titles six times, including a school-record four in 2023-24 in men’s basketball, women’s soccer, men’s tennis and women’s volleyball.

Former Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour was named interim athletic director in July by interim university president Alan Smith.

“Cameron is a highly regarded athletic administrator who knows what it takes to foster department-wide success in the new era of intercollegiate athletics,” said Smith in a statement from the university. “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.”

Walker has been at the University of Tennessee since 2021, when he followed athletic director Danny White from UCF and eventually rose to his current role as senior deputy athletics director and chief strategy officer in November 2024.

He’s also been the sport administrator for the Vols’ football and men’s basketball teams.

In his current role, Walker also walked in compliance and legal affairs, facilities and grounds, event operations, sports administration, and initiatives related to name, image and likeness.

Walker and White worked together in Orlando from 2018, including a promotion as high as executive associate athletic director. Prior to his time at UCF, Walker was the associate athletic director at Utah Valley University, where he worked in several roles including compliance, academic performance, student-athlete development and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Among other accomplishments, he helped hire numerous staff additions, renovated the Wolverine Service Center, and worked as an adjunct professor at Utah Valley University teaching courses in business law, contract drafting, legal research and writing, student leadership and student success.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to University of Tennessee vice chancellor and director of athletics Danny White, UT Chancellor Donde Plowman, and the Tennessee coaches and staff for their trust and support over the past few years,” Walker said. “I am also deeply appreciative of Utah State University interim President Alan Smith and the committee for their thoughtful consideration and dedication throughout this process.”

A native of Rexburg, Idaho, Walker played baseball at Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho) and Southern Virginia, where he was a team captain and two-time academic All-American and coached in Buena Vista, Virginia as an assistant baseball coach from 2006-07. He then earned his Juris Doctorate from Arkansas, graduating cum laude.

Walker and his wife, Heather, have three sons and one daughter.