Joshua Walker has been named the new head coach of the University of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine volleyball program after serving on the coaching staff at Baylor University. Photo courtesy Baylor Athletics

The University of Hawaii has named former Rainbow Warrior All-American Joshua Walker as the new head coach of the Rainbow Wahine volleyball program.

Athletics Director Matt Elliott introduced the program’s new coach Friday. Walker becomes the fourth head coach in program history and returns to Manoa after serving as associate head coach of the Baylor women’s volleyball program.

Walker played for the Rainbow Warriors from 2006 to 2011, earning AVCA All-America honors and finishing his career with 1,428 kills, the fifth-highest total in program history.

He later returned to UH as an assistant coach for the men’s volleyball team, helping the Rainbow Warriors compile a 149-36 record and win back-to-back NCAA national championships in 2021 and 2022.

Most recently, Walker helped Baylor reach multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, including a streak of 10 consecutive tournament berths through the 2025 season. He also served as an assistant coach for USA Volleyball, helping guide the U17 and U21 national teams to Pan Am Cup gold medals.

“I feel extremely blessed and thankful for this opportunity,” Walker said in a statement. “Hawaii has been home for a while, but I love that it gets to be our workplace again.”

A Virginia Beach, Va., native, Walker earned a bachelor’s degree in English from UH in 2011. He and his wife, Tehane, a former Rainbow Wahine soccer player, have five children.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Joshua Walker back to the University of Hawaii to lead our Rainbow Wahine volleyball program,” Elliott said. “Joshua embodies the very best of Hawaii volleyball tradition and knows firsthand what it takes to win at the highest level here. His deep roots in our community, combined with his proven championship pedigree as an athlete and coach, and passion for his alma mater, make him the perfect person to lead this program. This is a homecoming, and we couldn’t be more excited that Joshua, Tehane, and their beautiful ʻohana are coming back to the islands.”