Florida State Baseball staff loses Rich Wallace to UCF

As first reported by UCFSports.com, the Florida State baseball team will be replacing a key member of its coaching staff this off-season as Rich Wallace is expected to be named the head coach for the University of Central Florida’s baseball team.

Wallace served as the recruiting coordinator at Florida State for one year, following Coach Jarrett from Notre Dame. Wallace played at UCF before getting his feet wet as an assistant with the Knights. From there, Wallace began his climb up the coaching ladder. Florida State and UCF are already quite familiar with each other this off-season with the Seminoles picking up three transfer from the Knights in Drew Faurot, Jacob Marlowe, and Cam Leiter.

Keep up with all the off-season Seminole baseball news in our tracker.

Seminoles.com Rich Wallace bio:

Rich Wallace, an Orlando native with 19 years experience as a Division I baseball coach, was named FSU’s new assistant coach and recruiting coordinator on July 14, 2022.

Wallace spent the past three seasons with new head coach Link Jarrett at Notre Dame, serving as the recruiting coordinator and third base coach while also working with the Fighting Irish hitters and catchers. He oversaw defensive alignments, managed opposing pitcher video scouting reports, helped coordinate baserunning instruction and assisted with game management during his tenure in South Bend.

“Rich helped guide our transition at Notre Dame through diligent personalized recruiting, a vast national recruiting network, and tireless hard work,” Jarrett said. “His on-field instructional versatility lends itself well to working with multiple positions while focusing his attention on the catchers. His work in helping the hitters, baserunners and defensive alignment was paramount in our team’s success and will be vital at FSU.

“As Notre Dame’s recruiting coordinator, Rich navigated the university’s rigorous admission standards by finding the top athletic and academic players in the nation and they achieved at the highest level upon arrival. His wife Alex and daughters Easton and Maxx are fantastic and we look forward to their entire family’s arrival in Tallahassee.”

“I’m thankful to Coach Jarrett for this opportunity to return to my home state and work towards our ultimate goal of a national championship at Florida State,” Wallace said. “I’m excited to get started in Tallahassee and meet the players and staff that make FSU such an iconic program.”

Under Wallace’s guidance, Notre Dame led the Atlantic Coast Conference and ranked in the Top 15 nationally in fielding percentage each of the last two years. Notre Dame threw out over 35 percent of attemped base stealers, while Irish runners finished in the top four in the league in stolen bases each season.

Since 2020, Notre Dame is 86-32 (.729), the second-best winning percentage in the country in that span. Notre Dame’s 44-21 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference was the best in the league, and the Irish won the ACC by 4.5 games in 2021.

Wallace helped guide the Fighting Irish to back-to-back NCAA Super Regionals and the 2022 College World Series, the third in program history. In 2021, first baseman Niko Kavadas was a first team All-American – Notre Dame’s first since 2002 – and set the school record with 22 home runs.

At Notre Dame, Wallace coached two All-Americans, three All-ACC selections and 14 players were named to the All-ACC Academic Team. Throughout his extensive career, Wallace has produced 53 Major League Baseball draft selections and coached over 60 all-conference performers.

Prior to his time at Notre Dame, Wallace was an assistant coach at UCF (2004-08), High Point (2009-14), Creighton (2015-17) and Jacksonville (2018-19), serving as the recruiting coordinator at his previous four stops. In addition to the last two seasons at Notre Dame, Wallace led UCF (2004) and Jacksonville (2018) to the NCAA Tournament.

After wrapping a four-year playing career at the University of Central Florida, Wallace earned his bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from UCF in 2004. Wallace and his wife, Alex, have two daughters, Easton and Maxx.

Wallace’s Career Accolades include:

• Served as Notre Dame’s recruiting coordinator and third base coach from 2020-22.
• Coached two All-Americans, three All-ACC selections and 14 players were named to the All-ACC Academic Team at Notre Dame. Has produced 53 MLB Draft selections and over 60 all-conference honorees.
• Notre Dame had the second-best winning percentage nationally between 2020-22 (86-32, .729) and led the ACC with a .677 win percentage in conference play.
• 2022 College World Series – only the third in Notre Dame history.
• Back-to-back Super Regionals for the first time in Notre Dame history.
• Finished 41-17 in 2022, most wins for the Irish since 2006.
• Won the ACC regular season title in 2021, the first in program history.
• First baseman Niko Kavadas was a first team All-American in 2021, Notre Dame’s first since 2002. Kavadas set the school record with 22 home runs that season, finishing second in the ACC and third nationally.
• Spent the 2018-19 seasons back in his home state as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Jacksonville. In 2018, Wallace and the Dolphins reached the NCAA Tournament as a two-seed, the highest in program history. That season, the Dolphins led the ASUN in batting average, on-base percentage, runs scored and fielding percentage. JU won 73 percent of its ASUN games under Wallace and were 76-45 overall in Wallace’s two seasons.
• Was the recruiting coordinator at Creighton (2015-17) and High Point (2009-14). Was named the Big East Recruiter of the Year by D1Baseball in 2016 at Creighton.
• Began his coaching career at UCF (2004-08), coaching the catchers and outfielders while coordinating the camps. UCF won the ASUN regular season title in 2004 and reached the NCAA Tournament.
• Played four years at UCF from 2000-03 and led UCF with a .380 batting average and .529 on-base percentage as a freshman. Remains in UCF’s Top 10 in single-season hit by pitch (16 in 2000 and 2002), single-season on-base percentage (.529 in 2000) and career hit by pitch (46).