Nathan Bannister - Baseball Coach - Grand Canyon University Athletics

PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 5: Grand Canyon University baseball ties Loyola Marymount University 1-1 in first game of double header (Photo by: Rachel Sollazzo/GCU)

Photo by: Rachel Sollazzo

Nathan Bannister

Title:
Pitching Coach
Years at GCU:
2026: 4th season
Email:
nathan.bannister@gcu.edu
Alma Mater:
Arizona (2016)

Path to GCU
2009-12		Liberty HS (Peoria, Ariz.) Student-athlete
2013-16		Arizona (Tucson, Ariz.) Student-athlete
2016-18		Seattle Mariners organization Minor leaguer
2019-22		Seattle Mariners organization Pitching coach
2022-		Grand Canyon Pitching coach

Nathan Bannister completed his third season as Grand Canyon's pitching coach in 2025 after joining the program in July 2022.

In Bannister's first two seasons on staff, the Lopes won both WAC Regular-Season Championships. In 2024, GCU claimed its first ever NCAA tournament victory at the D-I level, defeating Bannister's alma mater (No. 15 Arizona 9-4) and also beating No. 25 Dallas Baptist 12-10 to advance to a regional championship.

In his first season, a late-season tear by the Lopes coincided with an impressive run from GCU's pitching staff, posting a 2.84 earned-run average in the final 12 games of the regular season — all wins. Bannister coached All-WAC pitchers Daniel Avitia (first team) and Zach Thornton and Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis (second team).

Two pitchers gained professional opportunities from Bannister's first year on staff in 2023. Thornton was a fifth-round pick of the New York Mets and righty reliever Cody Tucker signed a free agent deal with the San Francisco Giants.

Bannister joined GCU from the Seattle Mariners organization, where he was most recently serving as a pitching coach for the Modesto Nuts.

A Phoenix native, Bannister pitched for the University of Arizona from 2013 to 2016. He was 19-7 with a 3.22 ERA in 245 2/3 career innings spanning 61 appearances and 27 starts. As a senior in 2016, Bannister was a workhorse for the Wildcats, going 12-2 with a 2.59 ERA in 142 1/3 innings. He helped lead the Wildcats back to the College World Series in his final season.

Bannister was drafted in the 28th round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners. He debuted professionally in 2017 and was pitching for Triple-A Tacoma by his sixth appearance. Bannister's pro career lasted two seasons and spanned 54 starts and 285 2/3 innings. He went 16-16 overall.

Bannister attended Peoria, Arizona's, Liberty High School where he was named the 2012 Arizona Republic Big Schools Player of the Year and landed on the USA Today All-USA Baseball Second Team. He finished senior season with 104 strikeouts in 74 2/3 innings and posted a 1.88 ERA. A two-way player, Bannister also played third base and hit .454 on the season with 35 RBIs. He threw a perfect game against Copper Canyon in May of his senior year. Bannister helped lead the Lions to a state championship as a sophomore in 2010.