John Walsh has served as head coach of the Sagehens since 2016, winning the program’s first two conference championships in school history and two Coach of the Year awards during his tenure, leading the program to new heights under his leadership. Entering the 2025 season, Walsh has a career record of 47-30 as head coach of the Sagehens. His defensive coaching prowess as head coach has been demonstrated via 25 defensive All-SCIAC selections, including 12 First-Team selections since the 2016 season.
Walsh began his coaching career with the Sagehens, where he coached outside linebackers and special teams for the 1997 season. Walsh was later brought back on to the Pomona-Pitzer staff prior to the 2013 season, serving as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for four seasons before taking the helm.
In addition to his time at Pomona-Pitzer, Walsh has an extensive collegiate coaching background, including prior stops at Yale, Georgetown, Tufts. Throughout his coaching career, Walsh has commanded multiple All-Conference and All-American players while leading some of the top defensive units in the nation.
When coaching outside linebackers at Yale, Walsh oversaw a unit that helped the Bulldogs attain a No. 1 ranking in scoring defense, allowing only 10.5 ppg, and the No. 2 in passing efficiency defense across the FCS level in 2008.
At Tufts, Walsh oversaw the Jumbos defense as they finished first in the NESCAC in passing defense (127.1 yards per game) and pass efficiency in the 2003 season. That same season, the Jumbos ranked 13th across Division ? in total defense (258.1 yards per game). In addition to his unit success, Walsh coached 17 All-NESCAC players and three All-Americans during his tenure at Tufts.
While coaching linebackers and special teams at Georgetown from 1998-2001, Walsh saw two first-team All-MAAC players selected and one non-scholarship All-American selected in his unit. In his first stint at Pomona-Pitzer in 1997, Walsh coached outside linebackers and special teams.
Before rejoining the Pomona-Pitzer staff in 2013, Walsh served as the head coach of Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts from 2008-2012.
More recently, Walsh has seen multiple Sagehens walk away with all-conference honors, including the Offensive Athlete of the Year, nine first-team All-SCIAC selections and two second-team All-SCIAC selections in the 2024 season alone.
As a player, Walsh was a four-year starter for Amherst College and served as the team’s captain for the 1996 season. Walsh graduated from Amherst in 1997 with a degree in history. He later earned a master’s degree in educational studies from Tufts University in 2005.
