Cherokee Valeria, a former college teammate of Eastern Washington University head football coach Beau Baldwin, has been hired as EWU’s new cornerbacks coach.
A member of Central Washington University’s 1995 team which won the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) football title, Valeria brings seven years of collegiate coaching experience to Eastern. Most recently, he was an assistant coach at Southeast Missouri State.
Valeria has had a player rank among the nation's top 30 in interceptions in four of his last six years as a position coach, dating back to his two-year stint as coach at Central Washington. He has coached three all-conference players at the college level, including a pair who received all-region recognition and one preseason All-American.
“I’ve known Cherokee since the early 90’s, but this will be my first year coaching with him,” said Baldwin. “Everybody I’ve talked to at every place he’s coached, have just raved about what he has brought their program. He’s been praised not only with his coaching of cornerbacks, but in the office with recruiting and his knowledge of computers. There are so many things behind the scenes that take place, and he brings a lot of those skills we need. He’s going to strengthen our office in a lot of different ways.”
Valeria, 36, coached defensive backs at SEMO, which finished the 2011 season 3-8 after advancing to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs the year before. The school’s defense ranked 23rd in the FCS in passing defense, allowing just 182.7 yards per game. He also served as assistant recruiting coordinator and was the team’s pro football liaison.
