Lee Taylor Walker
	Hometown: Jackson, Tenn. Last College: Univ. of Memphis, 2004 Position: Head Coach, Fourth Season

The 2011-12 campaign marks Lee Taylor Walker's fifth season as head coach of the University of Memphis women's tennis program. Walker is very familiar with not only Memphis and the surrounding tennis community, but also with what it means to be a U of M student-athlete, as he was a standout singles and doubles players for the men's team from 2001-04. Walker then spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the men's program and spent the 2006-07 season as an assistant for the Lady Tigers prior to being named the head coach of the women's team in 2007.

The Lady Tigers have steadily improved in the rankings and wins column under Walker's direction. In the 2011 dual match slate, the team tied for the most wins in program history with 16, equaling the mark set in 2003. The team posted 13 wins in 2010, which was then the second-most in program history.

That same year, Lee coached senior Ashley Murdock to her third consecutive All-Conference USA second-team selection and Collins to her first All-C-USA nod. In 2008-09, Walker's second season at the helm of the Memphis women's tennis program, the Tigers went 11-13, including wins over conference foes Southern Miss and UAB.

In his first season as head coach, Walker led the Lady Tigers to a 9-13 mark. In the fall of 2008, Walker coached Murdock and Marjorie Ondeck to the semifinals of the 2008 ITA Southeast Regional in Winston-Salem, N.C. Murdock and Ondeck defeated doubles tandems from No. 13, Clemson, No. 17 North Carolina and No. 25 Tennessee on their way to the semifinals.

Walker, a native of Jackson, Tenn., played for Memphis from 2001-04, teaming with Ben Stapp in his first season in Memphis to become the highest-ranked doubles tandem in school history, ranking No. 12 in the country at the end of the fall 2001 season. Walker was also a nationally-ranked singles player at Memphis ranking as high as No. 48 in the country. He won 54 singles matches playing primarily at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles during his three-year Tiger career, and was 64-29 in doubles. He was the school's first-ever Conference USA First Team honoree and was named to the Conference USA Men's Tennis All-Decade Team.

"We are pleased to have a coach with the credentials of Lee Taylor Walker," said Memphis Athletic Director R.C. Johnson. "He has proven himself both as a player and student-athlete for the University of Memphis and we could not have been more pleased with his efforts as an assistant coach for the men's and women's tennis teams. I'm sure he will carry on the fine tradition that is Tiger tennis."

Off the court, Walker was named the recipient of the 2004 ITA/Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship and Leadership award, which he received as part of U.S. Open Festivities. Walker, a graduate of University School in Jackson, Tenn., received the ITA award after a stellar playing career and a long list of off-the-court accomplishments. Walker helped to re-form the Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter at the University of Memphis and coordinated visits to Streets Ministries and St. Jude Children's Hospital.

Walker currently works with Campus Outreach, a ministry on the U of M campus, as the faculty/staff representative. Campus Outreach focuses on developing students spiritual lives.

Walker came to the Tigers following one year at Clemson University, where he was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll. At Memphis, Walker was a two-time ITA Scholar Athlete. He received both his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Memphis, graduating in December of 2006 with a Master's Degree in human movement sciences.

Walker is married to former Lady Tiger soccer player Erin May Ferris. He has one brother, Matt, who is a tennis coach in Atlanta. Walker is the son of Dr. Danny Walker, who was a quarterback at Vanderbilt and UT Martin.