Soccer coach hangs up his whistle following championship season

ASHEBORO — Going out on top.

Seniors in high school get to experience this every year as hundreds of student-athletes capture state championships in their final year of eligibility. Whether it’s an individual state championship or one earned as a team, the feeling of going out on top is one that will be remembered forever.

So why shouldn’t a high school coach be able to experience this as well?

Southwestern Randolph High School boys soccer coach Jimmy Walker has decided to do just that as, after capturing the NCHSAA state 4-A soccer championship this past fall, he’s decided to hang up his coaching whistle.

“I can’t say enough about how much he has been dedicated to soccer at Southwestern Randolph,” SWR Athletic Director Matt Kiser said. “There is no better way to go out and we’re happy for him. To be able to finish the season on such a high note and he’s able to step away from the game on that high note and now do things he wants to do.”

Walker, who has three separate coaching stints at SWR, started the program back in 1995. In all, he coached the boys teams for 18 seasons and the girls teams for 11 seasons.

His boys teams were 235-99-14, while his girls teams were 161-81-9. That’s a combined record of 396-180-23.

His final season with the boys this past spring was his most successful as the Cougars finished 27-1. SWR won the Four Rivers Conference championship and then defeated Cummings 11-2, Jordan-Matthews 4-0 and First Flight 5-0 before rallying for a thrilling 2-1 win over Clinton in the regional finals. 

That sent the Cougars to their second consecutive state championship, where they defeated Newton-Conover 3-0 for the state 4-A title.

“It feels like going out on top just feels right,” Walker said. “It felt right as this season was going on and this special group of seniors, seeing them out and winning a state championship. There’s no better time to do it than now. I couldn’t think of a better scenario.”

Walker said he knew this would be his last season, a season chock-full of expectations to win the state title after finishing 25-3 the year before and falling to Clinton in the championship game.

SWR earned revenge in this past season’s regional championship win over that same Clinton program, the final home game in Walker’s coaching career.

“After that Clinton game, I had a moment to myself, taking pictures because I kinda knew it would be my last home game,” Walker said. “I am going to miss it. I will miss the smell of the field on opening day and looking around and seeing the nervousness with the freshmen about to start their high school careers. The pregame warmups are always fun and all the relationships I built. I am looking forward to being a fan and sitting in the stands.”

Although he built a program that earned respect statewide, Walker said it took years and years to get to that point.

“I remember during pregames during the boys soccer season, I was pretty happy with them kicking the ball over the goal,” Walker remembered. “We would get smoked a lot. Soccer in general has come a long way.”

Walker said he first started the program at SWR because a cousin of his was about to come up from middle school. He received the support of Athletic Director Charlie Chapman and Principal Donnie Baxter and a new program was established.

He coached both the boys and girls from 1995 until 2002 when he stepped aside for family reasons. He came back in 2014 though 2018, coaching his son Brycen at that time.

He returned in 2021 to coach his daughter Macy, who graduated in 2024, and stayed with the boys program.

“I have been a lucky guy to have the privilege of seeing kids accomplish the goals we set,” Walker said of his final year. “To watch that unfold was truly special. The death of Pedro (Ortiz) and all the signs we feel he sent us, winning the state title was the only outcome that would come. If the chips were down, we would have to find a way. They knew from the very first game last year that this was the only outcome there could be.”

Walker, a graphic designer for the NC Zoo, said he will spend more time on his hobbies, which include working on cars and drag racing. But he’ll always remember the kids he coached throughout his coaching career.

“All these kids have a story,” Walker said. “In 18 years I have heard a lot of them, given out advice and was honored to be a part of their story. I am going to miss those relationships with the kids. I have had a lot of special young people.”