The Wellington High School football program is now under the direction of veteran area coach Pete Walker, who officially started as the head football coach at WHS on Monday, Jan. 6.
Here in South Florida, Walker has been the head football coach at Clewiston High School, Glades Day School and the King’s Academy. He has a career coaching record of 190-72. During his years coaching high school football, he has led his teams to 21 state playoff appearances.
Wellington High School officials praised Walker in a prepared statement: “Coach Walker brings a legacy of excellence, leadership and a passion for developing young athletes on and off the field, with strong roots in Wellington and the western communities. He has a proven record of managing successful athletic programs and mentoring teams to achieve both athletic and personal growth.”
Walker, 59, is one of the most successful high school football coaches in South Florida. The high point of his coaching career was during his stint at Glades Day School in Belle Glade. While he was coaching the Gators, they won Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) state championships in 2006 (Class 1A title; 42-9 vs. North Florida Christian School), 2009 (Class 1B title; 27-20 vs. Warner Christian) and 2010 (Class 1B title; 42-35 vs. Warner Christian). From 2013 to 2023, he was the head football coach at Clewiston High School. Most recently, Walker served as Clewiston’s athletic director.
Walker is extremely excited to help rebuild Wellington’s football program. “I’m really looking forward to this opportunity to help rebuild a program,” Walker said. “In my opinion, the sky’s the limit here at Wellington High School. I want the local community to be proud of our football program. Success is based on buy-in from the players. Right now, I’m busy putting a staff together.”
Looking to the future, Walker is committed to more than just creating a winning, championship-level football team at WHS.
“I want to help create better men who will grow up to become great husbands and fathers,” Walker said.
On the evening of Tuesday, Jan. 7, Walker hosted a meet-and-greet for all interested football players and their parents at Wellington High School.
Walker graduated from Clewiston High School in 1983. During the 1982 high school football season, Walker was the starting quarterback for Clewiston’s state championship team, which shared the Class 2A state title with Jefferson County High School (Monticello) after playing to a 13-13 tie. There was no overtime back then for high school football games.
In college, Walker played at Henderson State University in Arkansas. He was the team’s placekicker. He also had an NFL tryout as a placekicker, for a few weeks, with the Indianapolis Colts in the late 1980s.
Walker is set to be inducted into the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame later this year.
At WHS, Walker will be succeeding Ross Pryor, who resigned as the head coach just before Christmas. Pryor’s two-year record as the head football coach at WHS was 6-14.
