New Mexico Hires Dorsey Tierney-Walker as New Head Coach

The University of New Mexico has hired Dorsey Tierney-Walker as their new head swimming coach. She’ll replace the recently-resigned Kunio Kono.

Tierney-Walker’s most recent college job was as the head coach of the Arizona State men’s and women’s teams from 2009-2015, which included a 12th-place finish from the women’s program at NCAAs in 2012.

Tierney-Walker also has previous roles as the co-women’s head coach at Auburn, which included 2 SEC and NCAA team titles; as the women’s head coach at Indiana for 7 years; and an assistant coach at SMU.

The full press release from the University of New Mexico is below:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico has added NCAA national championship-winning experience to its women’s swimming program as Dorsey Tierney-Walker has been named the fifth head coach in the program’s history by Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs.

Tierney-Walker claimed a pair of national championships as co-head women’s swimming coach of Auburn in 2006 and 2007 as well as a pair of team national championships as a swimmer for the University of Texas in 1990 and 1991.

“I want to thank Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs and Associate Athletic Director Ed Manzanares for the opportunity to lead the women’s swimming and diving program,” Tierney-Walker said. “I immediately noticed an excitement and a sense of pride within the state for the Lobos athletics program.  It is an honor to be a part of The University of New Mexico, the athletics department and the Albuquerque community.”

Along with the two national titles at Auburn, Tierney-Walker led the Tigers to a pair of SEC titles as well. During her four seasons with Auburn, the Tigers never finished lower than sixth at the NCAAs and racked up 196 All-American performances.

Tierney-Walker followed her time at Auburn by becoming the head men’s and women’s swimming coach at Arizona State from 2009-15 – leading the women’s program to a 12^th-place finish nationally in 2012 and the men’s program to an 18^th-place finish in 2013.

Prior to her time at Auburn, Tierney-Walker was the women’s head coach at Indiana for seven years. She was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2002, led the Hoosier swimmers to 99 All-American honors and the team to a program-best ninth-place finish at the 2005 NCAA Championships. In her final four years at Indiana, her swimmers broke every school record.

Tierney-Walker came to Indiana from Southern Methodist, where she was an assistant coach from 1996-98. She helped guide the Mustangs to three top-four finishes at the NCAA Championships during her three-year tenure, including a national runner-up finish in 1996. The team also won Western Athletic Conference titles in 1997 and 1998.

At the international level, Tierney-Walker was an assistant coach for the United States at the 2001 World University Games. She coached Susan Woessner to a silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke, a silver medal as a member of the 400-meter medley relay and a bronze medal in the 50-meter backstroke. She also assisted Cyndi Gallagher at the 2007 World University Games.

Tierney-Walker also had a decorated career in the pool as well as she was a finalist in the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Trials, swam for the University of Texas and won a pair of national championships with the Longhorns in 1990 and 1991. While with the Longhorns, she set an NCAA record in winning the 200-meter breaststroke in 1991. She was a two-time captain with the team and collected 16 All-American honors.

In 1987 she earned her first gold medal in the 200 breaststroke at the Pan-American Games in Indianapolis, and in 1991 she was ranked third in the world in the 200 breaststroke. In that same season she was named captain of the USA National Team at the Pan-American Games held in Havana, Cuba, and she’d go on to win three gold medals and set the Pan-Am Games record in the 200 breaststroke.

Tierney-Walker’s hire is pending final HR approval.