Jake Leonard 
CHARLESTON, Ill. — Eastern Illinois football head coach Chris Wilkerson has announced the addition of two new coaches to the Panthers football staff, along with the adjustment of two coaching positions on staff.
Joining the staff will be Casey Walker and Tre’jon Lewis. Assistant coach Mason Keeler will now balance his new role as special teams coordinator in addition to his role as tight ends coach.
Panthers defensive coordinator Andrew Strobel will now be adding duties as safeties coordinator.
About Casey Walker
Walker joins the Panthers staff as the defensive line coach and run game coordinator after two seasons coaching the defensive line at Florida A&M.
He coached three All-Conference selections on the defensive line during his two seasons with the program. A former player at the University of Oklahoma, Walker played three seasons in the NFL and was on NFL rosters for four years before beginning his coaching career at Garden City CC in the spring of 2018.
He then worked at Oklahoma Baptist for the 2018 season. In 2019, Walker moved on to work for three seasons at Texas A&M – Commerce as the defensive line coach/run game coordinator, coaching five All-Conference selections, including Celestin Haba, who went on to play in the Canadian Football League.
He briefly worked at Incarnate Word for the spring of 2022 before joining the staff at Louisiana Tech for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He coached All-Conference selection Keivie Rose, who went on to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
About Tre’jon Lewis
Lewis returns to his alma mater as the Panthers’ assistant defensive line coach, as EIU will put more emphasis on that position group.
He played for Eastern Illinois from 2022-24 before beginning his coaching career in the spring of 2025 as the defensive line coach at Anna Maria College.
Lewis worked as a graduate assistant helping coach the defensive line this past fall (2025) at North Carolina Central. In that role, he helped coach two All-Conference selections on the defensive line, with the defensive unit ranking first in the FCS in team sacks per game and fifth in team tackles for loss per game.
Panthers preparing for 2026-27 season
EIU will open spring practice in late March with the 2026 Spring Game set for Saturday, April 25, at O’Brien Field.
