Gregg Wallis Named UC Riverside Baseball Head Coach
7/2/2026 8:52:00 AM | Baseball
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Today UC Riverside Director of Athletics, Greg Paules, announced new leadership for the Highlander baseball program with Gregg Wallis named the new head coach. Wallis becomes the eighth coach in program history.
"Gregg Wallis is a builder. Everywhere he has coached, he has elevated programs through strong leadership, relentless competitiveness, and a commitment to player development," said Paules. "We believe the future of UC Riverside Baseball is incredibly bright under Gregg's leadership, and we couldn't be more excited to welcome him and his family to the Highlander community."
Wallis takes over a Highlander baseball program that last year won ten conference games, double the total from 2025 and the most conference wins since 2021. He sees this as a great opportunity to lead UC Riverside and realizes the great potential of the program.
"We will aggressively recruit all California kids who want to compete in a great conference and have a dream to play professional baseball," said Wallis of joining UC Riverside. "We are in a baseball hotbed and don't need to go too far from campus to find elite talent."
Wallis comes to the IE after spending 13 seasons at Grand Canyon University, with his final four seasons as head coach. In his first season leading the Lopes (2023), Wallis captured a WAC title after ending the year on a 13-game conference winning streak. That same season he became the first rookie head coach in WAC history named WAC Coach of the Year.
During his time helming GCU he won two WAC Championships, was a two-time WAC Coach of the Year, and led the Lopes to their first NCAA Tournament berth in 2024. They earned their first tournament win topping Arizona, 9-4 and beat Dallas Baptist in the elimination bracket before falling to West Virgina in the regional final.
Wallis helped send 11 players to professional baseball. Nine of his players drafted in the top 20, with six of those players being drafted in the top 10. One of those players, Jacob Wilson, was selected in the first round of the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft by the Oakland Athletics with the No. 6 pick.
Prior to leading the Lopes, Wallis served nine seasons as an assistant coach and became the program's recruiting coordinator in 2016. His first season in the Valley of the Sun was Grand Canyon's first season back at the NCAA Division 1 level. As an assistant coach with Grand Canyon he helped guide the program to its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance and a top-25 national ranking.
Wallis spent three seasons at Tennessee where he worked with the Volunteers' outfielders, offense and coached first base. Before landing in Knoxville, Wallis spent three years in the Big West at Cal State Fullerton where he served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. In his three seasons with the Titans, Cal State Fullerton reached the NCAA Super Regionals twice and the College World Series once.
His Big West credentials started at UC Irvine where he played for the Anteaters from 2002-05. He played for current UCLA Head Coach John Savage as UC Irvine looked to field a team for the first time since the 1992 season. After his playing career ended he stayed on with the Anteaters and was on staff when they went to the College World Series in 2007.
"His extensive experience including time in the Big West gives him a unique understanding of what it takes to win in this conference, and his vision aligns perfectly with where we are headed as a department," added Paules.
Wallis graduated from UC Irvine in 2005 with a degree in political science and a minor in psychology. He was a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-American and four-time Big West Conference Scholar-Athlete.
"Thank you to Greg Paules for believing in me and giving me the chance to help UCR baseball get back to the top of the Big West Conference," Wallis added. "I am ready to get to work meeting the current team, adding players for the upcoming season and hiring a great coaching staff."
Wallis graduated from Chatsworth High School in Chatsworth, California, in 2001. He is married to his wife, Kay with children Khia, Karsen and Kennedy.
"My family and I can't wait to be part of the Riverside community," Wallis said. "Go Highlanders."
UC Riverside will host an introductory press conference later this month to introduce Wallis to the Highlander community. Stay connected to GoHighlanders.com and on social our social channels Instagram (@ucrbsb) and on X (@ucrbsb).
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"Gregg Wallis is a builder. Everywhere he has coached, he has elevated programs through strong leadership, relentless competitiveness, and a commitment to player development," said Paules. "We believe the future of UC Riverside Baseball is incredibly bright under Gregg's leadership, and we couldn't be more excited to welcome him and his family to the Highlander community."
Wallis takes over a Highlander baseball program that last year won ten conference games, double the total from 2025 and the most conference wins since 2021. He sees this as a great opportunity to lead UC Riverside and realizes the great potential of the program.
"We will aggressively recruit all California kids who want to compete in a great conference and have a dream to play professional baseball," said Wallis of joining UC Riverside. "We are in a baseball hotbed and don't need to go too far from campus to find elite talent."
Wallis comes to the IE after spending 13 seasons at Grand Canyon University, with his final four seasons as head coach. In his first season leading the Lopes (2023), Wallis captured a WAC title after ending the year on a 13-game conference winning streak. That same season he became the first rookie head coach in WAC history named WAC Coach of the Year.
During his time helming GCU he won two WAC Championships, was a two-time WAC Coach of the Year, and led the Lopes to their first NCAA Tournament berth in 2024. They earned their first tournament win topping Arizona, 9-4 and beat Dallas Baptist in the elimination bracket before falling to West Virgina in the regional final.
Wallis helped send 11 players to professional baseball. Nine of his players drafted in the top 20, with six of those players being drafted in the top 10. One of those players, Jacob Wilson, was selected in the first round of the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft by the Oakland Athletics with the No. 6 pick.
Prior to leading the Lopes, Wallis served nine seasons as an assistant coach and became the program's recruiting coordinator in 2016. His first season in the Valley of the Sun was Grand Canyon's first season back at the NCAA Division 1 level. As an assistant coach with Grand Canyon he helped guide the program to its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance and a top-25 national ranking.
Wallis spent three seasons at Tennessee where he worked with the Volunteers' outfielders, offense and coached first base. Before landing in Knoxville, Wallis spent three years in the Big West at Cal State Fullerton where he served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. In his three seasons with the Titans, Cal State Fullerton reached the NCAA Super Regionals twice and the College World Series once.
His Big West credentials started at UC Irvine where he played for the Anteaters from 2002-05. He played for current UCLA Head Coach John Savage as UC Irvine looked to field a team for the first time since the 1992 season. After his playing career ended he stayed on with the Anteaters and was on staff when they went to the College World Series in 2007.
"His extensive experience including time in the Big West gives him a unique understanding of what it takes to win in this conference, and his vision aligns perfectly with where we are headed as a department," added Paules.
Wallis graduated from UC Irvine in 2005 with a degree in political science and a minor in psychology. He was a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-American and four-time Big West Conference Scholar-Athlete.
"Thank you to Greg Paules for believing in me and giving me the chance to help UCR baseball get back to the top of the Big West Conference," Wallis added. "I am ready to get to work meeting the current team, adding players for the upcoming season and hiring a great coaching staff."
Wallis graduated from Chatsworth High School in Chatsworth, California, in 2001. He is married to his wife, Kay with children Khia, Karsen and Kennedy.
"My family and I can't wait to be part of the Riverside community," Wallis said. "Go Highlanders."
UC Riverside will host an introductory press conference later this month to introduce Wallis to the Highlander community. Stay connected to GoHighlanders.com and on social our social channels Instagram (@ucrbsb) and on X (@ucrbsb).
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