Wallis to take reins of surging Lopes

To continue the ascension of the Lopes' nationally prominent baseball program, Grand Canyon will turn to one of its program's architects.

After a nine-year stint as a Lopes assistant coach, Gregg Wallis has been tapped to lead GCU Baseball as the fifth head coach in program history.

"After an extensive national search, we are excited to welcome Gregg Wallis back to the GCU family," GCU Vice President of Athletics Jamie Boggs said. "In addition to being known as one of the premier recruiters in the country, Gregg impressed us with his vision and strategic plan to take our already nationally competitive program to the next level. He has been to Omaha with two different programs, is a relentless worker, an outstanding community and relationship builder, and has tremendous passion for GCU. We are excited for the future of GCU Baseball with Coach Wallis at the helm."

Wallis has been GCU's recruiting coordinator since 2016, reeling in nationally ranked recruiting classes, and he was instrumental in building a program that spent the last three weeks of the 2022 regular season ranked in the D1Baseball.com Top 25. The Lopes have qualified for back-to-back NCAA Tournaments including an at-large selection last season, the first by a WAC program since 2012.

"Grand Canyon University is home," Wallis said. "I can't thank President Brian Mueller and AD Jamie Boggs enough for the opportunity to be the head baseball coach. Coach (Andy) Stankiewicz left the program in a really strong place, and I'm excited about the challenge of continuing to push GCU Baseball forward."

Wallis departed GCU following the 2022 season to be an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Ohio State.

The job drew significant interest from coaches nationally even though it had only been open for a few days.

"That's a testament to the growing reputation of the university, especially academically, as well as the success of the baseball program," Mueller said. "But we knew right away Coach Wallis was the right person for the job and are delighted to welcome him back. His track record and work ethic speaks for itself. More importantly, his ability to connect with people and get the best out of young men both on and off the field made this an easy decision."

Prior to GCU, Wallis built his resume at UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton and Tennessee. A three-time CoSIDA Academic All-American and four-time UCI and Big West Conference Scholar-Athlete, Wallis helped lead the Anteaters to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2004. Later on staff at UC Irvine, he helped lead the school to its first trip to Omaha in 2007. He returned to the College World Series as an assistant coach with the Cal State Fullerton program in 2009.

Wallis came from Tennessee to GCU for the 2014 season. He was promoted to recruiting coordinator in 2016. GCU's 2016 class was ranked among the top 40 in the nation by Baseball America. The 2020 recruiting class was ranked No. 30 nationally by Collegiate Baseball. The 2021 class was named one of 10 notable mid-major recruiting classes by Baseball America. And GCU's 2022 class was named one of 10 "Power Major classes" by Prep Baseball Report.

As a Lopes assistant coach, Wallis has worked closely with GCU's outfield corps that has included 2017 WAC Player of the Year Garrison Schwartz and 2018 WAC Player of the Year Quin Cotton as well as MLB draft picks Kona Quiggle, Preston Pavlica, Tyler Wyatt and David Walker.

Wallis has already begun building his vision for the program with the hiring of Nathan Bannister as pitching coach. A former pitcher for the University of Arizona and in the Seattle Mariners organization, Bannister comes to GCU after spending time as a pitching coach in the Mariners organization. He was most recently the pitching coach for the Modesto Nuts.

"I'm thrilled to join GCU," Bannister said. "The program has been on the rise and it's time to take the next step. I'm excited to join Coach Wallis on his staff to develop players and compete for championships. Lopes up."

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

"Gregg Wallis is the right man for the job. I am so excited to hear that he will be leading GCU Baseball. First and foremost, he is a relationship builder. He cares about his players and will teach them baseball, but more importantly he will show them how to be a team. GCU Baseball is in great hands."
ANDY STANKIEWICZ, former GCU head coach and current USC head coach

"Grand Canyon University just got themselves a great one. Gregg has established himself throughout the country as one of the elite recruiters. He has helped build GCU into a legit top-25 program. He has a great way about him, and his players will love playing for him. His predecessor Andy Stankiewicz has set the standard. And I know that Gregg paid great attention to everything he did in such a classy manner. I can't wait to watch the GCU program continue its excellence and winning ways."
BILL MOSIELLO, Ohio State head coach

"I couldn't be more proud and happy for 'Wally' taking over the GCU baseball program. I've been fortunate enough to see his growth that started as a player for my first ever team that I was a head coach to being an undergraduate assistant at UCI. Gregg has been at four places with me, and we have won championships and shared two trips to Omaha together. He is a people's person, hard worker and his players will thrive with his personality and competitiveness. GCU has been on the rise for a few years now and with the hiring of Gregg Wallis as its head coach, it will continue its climb in college baseball."
DAVE SERRANO, former head coach at UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton, Tennessee, CSUN

"I don't think GCU could have made a better decision when they decided Wally was their guy. He embodies everything the university and baseball program stand for. He has put in countless hours for the program and its players, a true servant leader. GCU Baseball is in very good hands."
PIERSON OHL, former GCU pitcher, currently in Minnesota Twins organization

"Coach Wallis has dedicated uncountable hours to the growth and development of this program for nearly a decade. From recruiting to instructing, he goes above and beyond for the betterment of the program. GCU is in great hands with Coach Wallis in charge."
QUIN COTTON, former GCU outfielder, currently in Cincinnati Reds organization

"Coach Wallis has been a huge part of the growth and success of the program over the years and there is no one more deserving of this opportunity. Wally will get the most out of the guys and continue GCU's success as conference and NCAA contenders for years to come. I'm excited to watch him continue the proud tradition of GCU Baseball!"
JAKE WONG, former GCU pitcher, currently in San Francisco Giants organization

Grand Canyon University Athletics

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

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