Matt Walker is a native of Canton.  He graduated from Canton Academy in 1997.  He went to play 3 years at Delta State University on a football scholarship.  Walker then transferred to Millsaps College where he played 2 years with the Majors and received his b.b.a. in 2002.

Walker began his coaching career at Winston Academy in Louisville, MS, with best friend Casey Macke.  Matt served as a volunteer for one season while discovering his love for coaching.  His full-time occupation was as a financial representative with Primerica Financial Services of CitiGroup.  "I knew the Lord was putting coaching in front of me for a reason.  I love the immediate gratification one gets from the coaching field.  I still love helping families with their finances, but coaching and teaching has taken over as a full-time role...and I love it."  Matt left Winston and spent a few months at Canton Academy.  He then spent two years at Madison-Ridgeland Academy.  "I learned more in that two year stint than I could have ever dreamed.  Everything at that school is first class, and I thoroughly enjoyed working there with wonderful, professional people."  MRA is also where Walker discovered his love for teaching.  "I love the classroom.  I like to challenge students to reach their full potential.  I might be more intense in the classroom than in the weightroom or practive field.  Producing competent, successful, and productive citizens is exponentially more important than producing good athletes...especially in a society where accountability has taken a backseat."

"MRA is where I really learned the importance of Track and Field.  Mack Norwood is phenomenal.  I always loved track, but it was really reiterated to me by Mack while I was there.  An athlete can't hide on that track.  It really teaches an athlete to compete individually.  That's where you find out who has guts."

"I'm really excited to be back home.  Canton Academy has so much potential that it is truly staggering.  I wake up every day with a smile on my face because I truly enjoy this work.  We will work.  We have a great opportunity to have a great track team, girls and boys.  But we're going to take care of the things that we can control, and outworking the opposition is one of those things."

Walker is married to the former Christy Avent of Eupora, MS.  Christy is a graduate of Mississippi State University.  She currently teaches Economics and Law Related classes at Madison Central High School.  They have a one-year old daughter, Mary Tristen Walker.  Also occupying the Walker household is Bocephus (Bo) Walker (English Mastiff) and Elvis Colts Avent (Cat).