Diera Walton joined the UNLV women's soccer staff as an assistant coach in February 2026.
Walton, who was a two-time All-Mountain West goalkeeper, makes the move to Las Vegas after serving as assistant coach at Salt Lake Community College (2024-25) and USL W League club Utah United (2025) over the past two years.
During her time at SLCC, Walton helped guide the Bruins to top-10 national rankings in goals allowed, goals against average and shutouts in back-to-back seasons, including top-3 rankings in 2024. Guiding the goalkeepers unit primarily, she mentored goalkeeper Elle Rafajko (2024) to NJCAA All-American honors, the NJCAA National Tournament Team and SWAC Goalkeeper of the Year honors. Additionally, the Bruins captured two SWAC titles, a Region 8 Championship and made two NJCAA Tournaments, reaching the Final Four in 2024, with Walton on the sidelines.
In addition to coaching collegiate soccer, Walton spent the 2025 season at the professional level as the Utah United's goalkeeper coach. Her contributions provided the squad expertise at that position on its historic run to the USLW National Championship. She also gained valuable international experience playing professionally for FC Pinzgau in Austria during the 2024 season.
Prior to playing professionally, Walton starred at goalkeeper at Utah State (2019-23). One of the program's most decorated goalkeepers, she left the school as the all-time leader in career saves (339) and shutouts (30). Other accomplishments on her impressive resume include a MW Tournament Championship, MW All-Tournament Team and All-Newcomer Team selections, five MW Defensive Player of the Week honors, and College Soccer News National Player of the Week (September 2023). Along with her athletic prowess, she excelled academically, earning Academic All-Mountain West honors three times (2021-23).
Originally from Draper, Utah, Walton graduated from Utah State with her bachelor's degree in psychology paired with a minor in sociology. She also earned her master’s degree in sports management at her alma mater.
