Brad Walker was named America East Commissioner on August 12, 2021. A former men’s basketball student-athlete at Bentley University, Walker officially began his tenure as commissioner on September 13, 2021.
Walker, just the fifth commissioner in America East’s 42-year history, brings over 15 years of experience at the NCAA Division I level as a senior-level administrator in multiple conference offices as well as five years of professional experience in the NBA, excelling in every role he has held.
Walker has served as the NBA G League’s Head of Basketball Operations for the past five years overseeing the league’s day-to-day operations. During Walker’s tenure, the G League underwent aggressive expansion, adding 11 new franchises during that time. He also oversaw the development of the G League Youth Professional Pathway, Team Ignite, the first-of-its-kind team dedicated to developing top young prospects in preparation for the NBA Draft.
Prior to joining the professional ranks, Walker built a solid reputation as a senior level athletics administrator in the college ranks, spending a decade and a half as an associate commissioner at both the Ohio Valley and West Coast Conferences. At both stops, he made positive impacts that resulted in both leagues advancing forward in ways they had not previously.
From 2007-2016, Walker was associate commissioner and chief operating officer at the OVC, which also included a stint as interim commissioner. In addition to overseeing day-to-day operations, including the conference budget and sport oversight of men’s basketball and football, Walker took a leadership role in the development of the conference’s Basketball Enhancement Plan, which rewards successful programs. That program helped result in the conference earning two bids to the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, with each qualifying team winning a tournament game.
During his tenure at the West Coast Conference, Walker was responsible for coordinating athletic marketing efforts and took a lead role in negotiating what was the conference’s most lucrative television contract at the time, a five-year agreement with ESPN. He started at the WCC as Director of Communications in 2001 and also worked in media relations at the Summit League.
In addition to previously served roles, Walker was formerly a member of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee and the Division I Championships/Sports Management Committee. In 2004, he was a member of the 22-person class at the NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males.
A 1996 graduate of Bentley University with a degree in marketing, Walker was a four-year contributor on the men’s basketball team. He captained the team his senior season, during which he earned All-Conference honors.