STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton added Michael Walton to the Texan Football coaching staff as the program's special teams coordinator.
 
Walton comes to Tarleton with 15 years of coaching experience across NCAA Division II and FCS programs, including seven years within the Lone Star Conference and three seasons on Todd Whitten's coaching staff at Sam Houston State.
 
"I couldn't be more excited to add Michael Walton to our coaching staff," said Whitten. "He's a very talented football coach with an incredible work ethic. He's very familiar with Tarleton State having played and coached in the Lone Star Conference for a number of years. He also worked on my staff at Sam Houston State. He knows our expectations and the type of tradition we have here. I'm excited to see what he brings to the staff."
 
Walton is coming off his second consecutive season as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for his alma mater, Eastern New Mexico. In 2018, Walton commanded a Hounds defense that finished third in the LSC. Eastern's best defensive effort of the year came in its annual Wagon Wheel Game with West Texas A&M as the Greyhound shutout the Buffs for the first time since 1992. Last year, Walton and the Greyhounds ended the season on a high note by defeating Southern Arkansas 20-13 in the Heritage Bowl (formerly Corsicana Bowl). In his two most recent seasons with the Greyhounds, Walton had 16 specialists and defensive players recognized as All-LSC selections.
 
Walton has coached 39 total all-conference defenders and specialists in his coaching career.
 
His career began as a four-year letterman for the Greyhounds from 1996-99. Walton was named to 12 different All-America teams in his final two seasons and was the 1998 LSC South Division Defensive Lineman of the Year. He finished his career as the program's all-time leading tackler (515). In his senior season, Walton led the Greyhounds to the first of back-to-back LSC South Division Championships.
 
Walton traded the pads for a clipboard the following season when he transitioned to the coaching staff where he stayed for the next seven football seasons as an assistant coach over various positions. His time in Portales led him to the NCAA Division I level as a special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach for Sam Houston State, led by none other than Todd Whitten. During his time at SHSU, Walton's special teams unit boasted the country's top-ranked punt coverage and punt return units.
 
Walton and Whitten remained together with the Bearkats for three seasons before Walton moved on to earn his first defensive coordinator role with New Mexico Military Institute for the 2010 season. He quickly returned to the LSC by being named the DC for Angelo State, where he stayed from 2011-13 and elevated the Rams defense to the No. 1-ranked rushing defense in the country in 2012.
 
His impact once again led him to the FCS level and a return to the Piney Woods as he joined the Stephen F. Austin staff in 2014 as the special teams coordinator and safeties coach. With Walton on the staff, the Lumberjacks qualified for the FCS playoffs that season and he remained with the 'Jacks through the 2016 season before making his return to Division II. Walton left SFA to take the defensive coordinator position at Missouri Western in 2017 before making his return to Eastern New Mexico in 2018.
 
A native of Earth, Texas, Walton holds two degrees from Eastern New Mexico – a bachelor's degree in special education and a master's degree in sports administration. He is married to Alicia Polaco-Walton and they have two daughters, Lucia and Grace.