Rich Wallace, an Orlando native who played for UCF in the early 2000s, will be named the Knights' head baseball coach, multiple sources tell UCFSports.com.
Wallace, who will be the first alumnus hired as the head coach of a men's sport at UCF, currently is an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Florida State.
The move, expected to become official later today, brings an end to a whirlwind search that at one point zeroed in on former Major League Baseball manager Joe Girardi. Among college candidates, Wallace was highly regarded for his years of experience as a top assistant, strong recruiting background and passion for the position.
A 1999 graduate of Bishop Moore High School, Wallace played four years at UCF for Jay Bergman from 2000-03. As a first baseman, third baseman and designated hitter throughout his career, Wallace made an immediate impact in 2000 as the team's top hitter batting .380 with a .529 on-base percentage, earning Freshman All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball.
Wallace played during what is arguably the greatest era of UCF Baseball history when the Knights made three consecutive NCAA Regionals from 2000-02. In 2001, UCF earned a No. 1 seed and were ranked as high as No. 7 in the polls.
He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant and then volunteer coach at UCF from 2004-08. From there, he coached under Craig Cozart at High Point (2009-14) and later Creighton (2015-17). In 2016, D1Baseball named Wallace the Big East Recruiter of the Year.
From 2018-19, Wallace returned to Florida to coach at Jacksonville where he was associate head coach and recruiting coordinator. In 2018, JU advanced to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed.
Wallace then spent three years at Notre Dame under Link Jarrett (2020-22), helping lead the Irish to the College World Series in 2022 for just the third time in school history. Their back-to-back Super Regionals in 2021 and 2022 were the first time it's ever been done in South Bend.
After Notre Dame's run in last year's College World Series, Wallace followed his head coach to Tallahassee where he continued his role as recruiting coordinator. His 2023 FSU recruiting class, set to enroll this summer, ranks No. 13 according to Perfect Game. His 2024 class, which includes 17 commitments, currently ranks No. 3.
Wallace is married to the former Alex Campbell. In 2010, the couple were married at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium, the longtime site of the College World Series. They have two daughters, Easton and Maxx.
