Hunter Hays - Softball Coach - Grand Canyon University Athletics

Hunter Hays

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
hunter.hays@gcu.edu

Grand Canyon added Hunter Hays, Lopes head coach Shanon Hays' son, to acclaimed program on June 5, 2024.

"I'm very happy to hire Hunter as our infielders coach. He is an experienced coach and recruiter that has developed a reputation as a skilled teacher," (Shanon) Hays said. "He's grown up around the game which has given him great perspective and I think he's the perfect fit for our staff."

Hunter Hays previously served as an assistant coach at North Texas since 2023, where the Mean Green totaled a 67-46 record, competing in the 2023 Conference USA Championship game, and the 2024 American Athletic Conference semifinals.

In two seasons as an assistant coach at Oklahoma Christian, from 2021-2022, Hays helped guide the Eagles to consecutive berths in the NCAA Division II tournament and helped showcase 18 all-conference athletes and one DII All-America second team athlete in 2022.

Hays is the son of current Grand Canyon head coach, Shanon Hays, who has 604 collegiate victories over 15 years in softball and 58 wins as the men's basketball coach over three seasons at Abilene Christian. Hunter's grandfather, Larry Hays, is also the winningest head coach in Texas Tech baseball history with 813 wins and the current head coach for Colorado Christian softball.

Hunter Hays began his college baseball career at Abilene Christian in 2016, where he started 16 games as a freshman. In 2018, he transferred to play his final three seasons at DII Colorado Christian where he posted a .299 batting average over 107 games, with 65 runs scored, 62 RBI and 21 doubles for the Cougars.

After graduating from Colorado Christian University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 2020, Hays held a graduate assistant position for Oklahoma Christian baseball program during the 2020-21 academic year.