Little Rock has announced a contract extension for men’s basketball head coach Darrell Walker, with the new deal running through the 2023-24 season.

“Coach Walker has done a fantastic job bringing a talented and exciting group of young men together,” said Director of Athletics George Lee. “The future of Little Rock basketball is bright, and we are proud to have coach Walker leading the program.”

Walker helped engineer one of the best turnarounds in Division I basketball in his second season in 2019-20. Picked to finish 11th in the Sun Belt preseason poll, Little Rock flipped its record from the previous season to post a 21-10 overall mark, going 15-5 in Sun Belt play and capturing the league’s regular-season championship.

“I want to thank George Lee, Dr. Christina Drale, and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for its faith and confidence in me to lead this program,” Walker said. “Little Rock is my home, and I feel fortunate to be able to coach in front of friends and family. We’re building something special here and I’m excited about the future of this program.”

Behind the success of the Trojans, Walker was named the Sun Belt’s Coach of the Year before the Trojans’ quest for an NCAA postseason run was cut short due to the global coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, Little Rock boasted a pair of All-Americans in Ruot Monyyong (Lefty Driesell Defensive) and Markquis Nowell (Lou Henson) as the duo were both named first team All-Sun Belt honorees.

Walker and the Trojans are eager to defend their Sun Belt Conference title, returning nearly the entire roster for the 2020-21 season. The team has adopted the mantra “Unfinished Business” as it looks to build on last year’s success and elevate the program to new heights under Walker’s leadership.