Rob Walker has been named as the coach of the newly formed men's and women's soccer teams at Saint Martin's University.

Walker, a Saint Martin's graduate, is a longtime coach at the youth and high school level. For the past five and a half years, he's been the director and coach of Mountain Brook, a youth soccer club in Birmingham, Ala., with 1,400 participants. Walker coached boys and girls soccer at Timberline High School from 1983-92.

For Walker, 44 and a 1979 Olympia graduate, it's a chance to return home. Walker was the first director of Mountain Brook, giving him experience on building a program. But it's Walker's first college coaching job. Walker began coaching his junior year at Olympia and continued to coach youth soccer as he taught at Yelm from 1992 to 2000.

Over the years, he's assisted on Olympic developmental teams, was on men's U.S. Olympic team in 1996 as goalkeeper coach for two training camps, and was the women's U.S. Olympic team in 2000 as goalkeeper coach for the Algarve Cup in Portugal.

Assistant Coach Bre Giove

Bre Giove, a graduate of Clover Park High School, has been involved with soccer for quite some time. She played locally for FC Royals and the ODP program. Giove played four years of varsity soccer at the University of New Mexico while earning a degree in Physical Education. In 2005 she earned her Masters in Education from Grand Canyon University.

"I am very excited to be a part of the Saint Martin's coaching staff," said Giove. "I am truly excited to be able to help start a program that will be competitive on and off the field. I believe in developing the 'whole' student-athlete from academics to soccer." 

Assistant coach Tom Dutra

Tom Dutra has been named as assistant to head coach Rob Walker. Dutra is a local product having graduated from Timberline High School in 1991. He earned his degree from Pierce Community College in 1993.

Dutra brings some professional experience with him. He has played for the Seattle Sounders A-league, the Salem Surge USISL pro division as well as the the New Orleans Storm A-league and the Philadelphia Steam A-league.

Dutra began coaching in 2000 as a part of FC United premier soccer. In 2002 he started working with the Olympic Development Program. Dutra has also been the Men's Assistant coach at Pacific Lutheran University, a role he held from 2001-05.