Matt Walker ('24) served as a volunteer assistant coach working with the defense on the Flames' 2025 MCLA Division I national championship team.
Men’s lacrosse alumnus Matt Walker to coordinate Flames’ defense, recruiting
8/25/2026 5:12:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
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The 2024 graduate and defender who served as a volunteer assistant on Liberty’s MCLA DI national championship team in 2025 spent the past season as an assistant coach for nearby Randolph College.
Former Liberty University men's lacrosse player Matt Walker ('24), who was selected to the MCLA All-America First Team as a defender his sophomore and junior seasons, is taking the reins of that unit as the Flames' defensive coordinator for the 2026-27 season.
"I am looking forward to developing and seeing how good of a defense we can be this year, as well as giving back to the guys that I played and coached with, getting to know the new guys, and starting this journey to Richmond," Walker said of the River City Sportsplex in Midlothian, Va., site of the 2026 and 2027 MCLA National Championships in May.
Walker
Walker, who served as a volunteer assistant coach under former longtime Assistant Coach Mike Zumpano during the 2025 season, which culminated in Liberty's first MCLA National Championship, will also serve as the team's recruiting coordinator. Last season, he performed both duties for the cross-town men's lacrosse program at NCAA Division III Randolph College.
"I loved coaching those guys at Randolph," Walker said. "It was a challenging year, and it wasn't the greatest season. We went 3-14 competing in the ODAC, but it was a great learning experience. I learned a lot on the administrative side and from the player relationships, going through some tough love with them."
Walker earned his B.S. in Government: Politics and Policy at Liberty and is currently pursuing a one-year online master's degree in coaching and sports leadership at Randolph.
He said the biggest change in going from Randolph to Liberty is the amount of support, accessibility, and resources the Flames have "to achieve what we want to achieve." Walker, from Fairfax, Va., was a two-time MCLA All-America defender for the Flames after the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
"I knew how special this place is, and being away for a year, my admiration and appreciation for the school has only grown because it is so unique," Walker said.
Flames Head Coach Kyle McQuillan is excited to have Walker back in the fold.
"Matt is a great addition to the team for a handful of reasons," he said. "He being a former player is important to us for building on our culture, and he is very well-versed in that. He's always understood the game on a very detailed level, assessing strengths and weaknesses … and finding ways to defend some really good offensive units. Besides being our defensive coordinator, he's going to play a pretty large role … going to tournaments and recruiting showcases and other outside events and managing and overseeing our recruiting for the upcoming year."
Walker, 26, played his freshman season at NCAA Division II national championship runner-up Limestone (S.C.) College before taking three years off and transferring to Liberty for the 2021-22 season. He replaces Conor Guiltinan, another former defender for the Flames who transferred in from NCAA Division I High Point (N.C.) University.
"I played with Conor for one season," Walker said of his senior year. "He was an unbelievable player, one of the smartest I've ever played with. He brought his defense that he learned at High Point to us and helped us win our second ALC championship when I played with him. Coach Kyle (McQuillan) is one of the best managers I have seen. It is always a first-class experience with how Coach Kyle runs the program."
Walker complements McQuillan's staff that includes three other assistant coaches — offensive coordinator Brandon Butler and strength and conditioning coaches Jessi Glauser (who works with faceoff men) and Justin Kilian (who coaches the goalies).
He considers his freshman season at Limestone a learning experience that prepared him well to launch his coaching career.
"We were 21-0 entering the (NCAA Division II) championship game, but there was disfunction and not great chemistry with that team," Walker said. "I learned how important chemistry and connection are within a team."
During the Flames' national championship season, Walker's primary responsibilities included scouting opponents, mostly through video. He also helped Zumpano and Guiltinan implement the team's 10-man ride and other defensive strategies.
Walker said he acquired much of his coaching philosophy from Zumpano, especially with regards to communicating and establishing positive rapports with players.
"Coach Z was very influential in coaching, and he always talked about trust, and that is one thing I am going to try to do in building those relationships," he said. "Playing here, I know what the defense is supposed to represent and our duties to the program. I will be looking to reestablish that responsibility with this group — to be the steel spine of the team, as Coach Z used to call it, and drive it forward."
He said his coaching style will be unique.
"I will take what I learned from (Zumpano and Guiltinan), but I am going to have my own identity," Walker said. "I'm a visual learner, and I bring out my white board all the time and show players visually what I am trying to communicate on the field. Also, being in those situations experientially, I know how players play and that is something I can draw upon."
As a recruiter, he plans to search for players whose physical abilities and playing styles are adaptable to the offensive and defensive systems the Flames run, and whose spiritual disciplines align with the mission of the university and the program.
"The biggest thing is finding players who want to come to Liberty and who bring Christian values to the team," Walker said. "We want guys who are willing to serve their teammates and do whatever is necessary and at the end of the day to do everything with gratitude as willing servants."
The Flames will hold tryouts on Tuesday through Thursday from 3:30-5:30 p.m.at the Liberty Lacrosse Fields.
