Staff Directory

PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 19: Grand Canyon University baseball Fall World Series, purple team beats black team 6-3 (Photo by: Rachel Sollazzo/GCU)

Jack Wilson

Title:
Director of Program Development
Years at GCU:
2027: 2nd season
Alma Mater:
Grand Canyon (2018)

Career Timeline

Year	School/Team	Position
1993–96	Thousand Oaks HS (Calif.)	Student-Athlete
1997–98	Oxnard College (Calif.)	Student-Athlete
1998–00	St. Louis Cardinals org.	Minor Leaguer
2000–01	Pittsburgh Pirates org.	Minor Leaguer
2001–09	Pittsburgh Pirates	Infielder
2009–11	Seattle Mariners	Infielder
2011–12	Atlanta Braves	Infielder
2017–21	Thousand Oaks HS (Calif.)	Head Coach
2019–22	USA Baseball	Coach
2023	Grand Canyon	Assistant Coach
2024–25	Greeneville Flyboys	Manager
2027–	Grand Canyon	Director of Program Development

Bold denotes current position

Jack Wilson returns to the Grand Canyon baseball coaching staff as director of program development in 2026, rejoining the Lopes after previously serving as an assistant coach during the 2023 season.

Wilson brings one of the most decorated playing resumes in college baseball coaching. A 12-year MLB veteran, Wilson played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners and Atlanta Braves after being selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the ninth round of the 1998 MLB Draft. He made his MLB debut with Pittsburgh in 2001 and spent nine seasons with the Pirates. His best season came in 2004, when he hit .308 with 201 hits and earned MLB All-Star and Silver Slugger honors. He appeared in 1,370 career games and totaled 1,294 hits. Known as one of baseball's top defensive shortstops during his career, Wilson was selected for the Pirates Hall of Fame in 2026.

Wilson originally joined GCU's staff in July 2022, helping the Lopes win a WAC regular-season championship in his first season in 2023. He worked with GCU's hitters and infielders, helping the team post a .389 on-base percentage — the program's best mark since 2011.

Since his first stint with the Lopes, Wilson spent the summers of 2024 and 2025 as manager of the Greeneville Flyboys in the Appalachian League, leading the club to two postseason appearances, including a 2024 West Division title and the franchise's first Appalachian League Championship appearance since 2021.

In his role on Bieser's staff, Wilson will assist in all areas of the program, including player evaluation, skill development, recruiting support, student-athlete well-being and general program improvements and planning.

Wilson's coaching background also includes a stint as head coach at Thousand Oaks High School from 2017 to 2021, where he compiled a 98-30-1 record, won two Marmonte League Championships (2019, 2021) and a CIF-SS Division 2 title in 2021. His Thousand Oaks rosters featured multiple future Lopes, including his son, Jacob Wilson, as well as Blake Reilly and Vince Reilly. Jack later coached Jacob at GCU during the 2023 season before Jacob was selected sixth overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, reached the major leagues and became a 2025 MLB All-Star.

Wilson has also been heavily involved with USA Baseball, serving on the coaching staff for the 18U National Team, working as the team's third-base coach during a gold-medal run at the Baseball World Cup, and serving as a roving instructor for the 16U/17U National Team Development Program. He also served as a head coach for USA Baseball Trials and the National Team Development Program in 2019.

"I'm honored and excited to return to GCU Baseball," Wilson said. "Coach Bieser's vision for the future of the program and the culture he's building made me eager to come back. I'm grateful for the opportunity and excited for what's ahead."

A GCU alumnus, Wilson graduated from the university in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management, fulfilling a long-term goal of earning his degree with an eye toward coaching college baseball.

Jack has been married to his wife Julie since 1999, and the couple has three children: Jacob, Jaidyn Faith and Jersi Grace.