VMI names decorated alum Jamaal Walton new athletics director

Jamaal Walton, a 2007 alum of VMI who was a four-year member and captain of the VMI football team in his time on the post, has been appointed athletics director at his alma mater.

Walton comes back home after a three-year stint as a senior associate athletics director at the University of Washington, where he was in charge of strategic initiatives and was responsible for fiscal oversight of the men’s basketball and baseball programs.

Walton began his athletics administration career at Savannah State, before stops at Tennessee, Oklahoma and Alabama, where he was involved with each respective institution’s athletic marketing initiatives.

Walton then worked at the College of Charleston from 2017 to 2021, where he assumed the role of associate athletics director for external operations.

“Jamaal Walton brings a wealth of experience to the athletic director position, and, as a VMI alumnus, provides a unique perspective. He is not just passionate about VMI athletics, but is passionate about the VMI experience,” said Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins ’85, the superintendent at VMI.

“Jamaal clearly demonstrated a solid understanding of the changing NCAA landscape that will help VMI Athletics compete to win soon and for the foreseeable future,” Wins said.

Walton succeeds Jim Miller, who announced his retirement in January. Miller came to VMI as the interim director in 2021 before assuming the permanent AD tag on July 1, 2022.

As a cadet, Walton earned the General George C. Marshall Citizen-Soldier Award, the Lemuel Mackennie Long Jarman Award and was a four-year letterwinner and captain of the VMI football team.

Walton and his wife, Marci, have two children: daughter, Zadie, and son, Krew.

“I would like to thank Gen. Wins and the search committee for entrusting me with the responsibility of leading Keydet Athletics,” Walton said. “This is a dream come true, and I’m humbled and thrilled to serve my alma mater as the next director of athletics. VMI changed my life, and my goal is to help serve and inspire future VMI graduates to be citizen-soldiers who embody the VMI spirit. The VMI family is special, and Marci and I cannot think of a better place to raise our family. Rah Va Mil!”