University of Hawaii assistant men’s volleyball coach Joshua Walker will leave the program at the end of the season to join the women’s volleyball coaching staff at Baylor.

Baylor announced Walker’s hiring today. Walker will join the Bears in May following the completion of the UH men’s season and the birth of his fourth child, according to the release from the school.

Walker was a standout outside hitter for the Rainbow Warriors from 2006 to 2011 and joined Charlie Wade’s coaching staff in 2016 following his professional playing career. He was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Assistant Coach of the Year in 2019 and helped lead the Rainbow Warriors to the national championship last year.

“He is an elite-level coach and already a proven national champion,” Baylor head coach Ryan McGuyre said in the release. “He has competed at the highest level and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our staff. He is very sharp tactically and will provide both offensive and defensive instruction.”

Walker will join a Baylor program that went 22-6 overall and 14-2 in Big 12 play last season to place second behind Texas. The Bears were the No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament and reached the Sweet 16 before falling to 12th-seeded Minnesota in five sets. Baylor ended the season ranked 10th in the AVCA Coaches Poll.

The Rainbow Warriors (14-3), ranked fourth and sixth in the national polls, open a two-match series with No. 12 Lewis tonight at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

“Josh Walker has been an integral part of UH men’s volleyball as a player and as a coach for a long time,” UH coach Charlie Wade said in the release. “He was a role model representative as a student-athlete on and off the court and has continued his contributions as a coach. He has developed a wide skill set as a coach which will ensure his continued success as an assistant and when he becomes a head coach. He has worked extremely hard to prepare himself for future challenges and we wish him and his ‘ohana only the best as they embark on new challenges. I am very grateful for all he has done for Hawai’i men’s volleyball.”