Softball
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach
- Email:
- wcking@syr.edu
- Phone:
- x 5767
| The King File | |
| Hometown | Grand Rapids, MI |
| High School | Forest Hills Central |
| College |
Hope College '88 Grand Valley State '94 |
| Family | Wife Sue, Four children |
| Coaching Timeline | |
| 2010 - Syracuse University Associate Head Coach | |
| 2009-2010 - Syracuse University Assistant Coach | |
| 2007 - Trine University Assistant Coach | |
| 2006 - Bowling Green Volunteer Assistant Coach | |
| USA FastBall Elite Training Academy Hitting Coach | |
| Northview High School Head Coach | |
| Grand Rapids Community College Assistant Coach | |
| Coaching Accomplishments | |
| Helped guide Syracuse to its first BIG EAST Championship title and NCAA appearance in 2010 | |
| SU's 2009 squad raised its batting average by 38 points to the second best mark in program history (.287) | |
| Helped the Orange set six program records through two seasons | |
| Guided Trine to the most wins in school history (31), four additional program records and its first national tournament appearance in 2006. | |
| Northview squad led the state with 28 home runs. | |
| Guided Grand Rapids CC to its only two national championship appearances. | |
| Playing History | |
| 2003 - Waterloo Hallman Twins | |
| 1998-2002 - Midland Explorers | |
| 1997 - Kamphuis Pipeline | |
| 1996 - Midland Metros | |
| 1985-88 - Hope College | |
| Playing Accomplishments | |
| 1998-2002 - Started in centerfielder for the No. 4 Explorers | |
| 1997 - First Team All-American, State Tournament MVP, National Tournament MVP | |
| 1996 - National Championship | |
Wally King served as the associate head softball coach from August 2010 through August 2013. King was an assistant at SU for two years prior to being promoted and with 15 years of coaching experience and playing time with two of the world’s top five teams, King brought knowledge, experience and leadership to the Syracuse softball staff.
Success at SU
During King's time on the coaching staff, he has helped to guide the Orange to back-to-back 30 win seasons and consecutive BIG EAST Championship bids.
In 2010, King's tutelage helped the squad capture the programs first BIG EAST Championship and make the first NCAA Regional appearance in program history. It marked the first time that the fifth-seeded Orange advanced to the title game and it became the lowest seed in tournament history to capture the conference crown. Two student-athletes from the 2010 team garnered NFCA All-Region accolades - the most since 2006 - while three were named All-BIG EAST selections.
The 2010 Orange set program single- season records in games played (58), doubles (82), walks (195) and stolen bases (72) while ranking among the top five teams in conference in 13 offensive categories and 14 defensive categories. SU led the BIG EAST in walks and stolen bases while ranking second in triples (12), third in doubles and fourth in total bases (571). The Orange pitching staff ranked third among conference teams in opponent average (.224) and second in strikeouts (402) while allowing the third fewest hits (319) and fewest extra-base hits (64) while the defense ranked second in putouts (1143) and assists (511).
King led the offense to one of its most successful seasons at the plate in 2009, as the team raised its batting average by 38 points from the previous season to the second-best team average in Orange program history (.287). Syracuse set a program record for triples in a season (14) while ranking among the BIG EAST’s top five teams in 11 offensive categories in 2009. SU ranked among the leagues best in batting average (.287), slugging percentage (.427), on-base percentage (.366), runs scored (230), hits (395), RBI (210), doubles (56), triples (14), home runs (36) and total bases (587).
Defensively, the 2009 squad also matched the program-best mark for team fielding percentage (.966) while recording the third-least errors among conference teams.
Coaching Ties
Prior to joining the SU staff, King served as the assistant coach at Trine University (formerly Tri-State University) in Indiana. While with the Trine Thunder, King helped guide the squad to the most wins in school history (31) and its first national tournament appearance. The team set school records in runs (251), doubles (70), home runs (24), RBI (212) and had a league-best ERA.
In 2006, King served as a volunteer assistant coach and hitting instructor at Bowling Green State University with current SU head coach Leigh Ross.
King was a social worker and special education instructor at Northview HS in Grand Rapids, Mich., where served as the varsity softball head coach. In his two seasons with the Northview squad, King’s team led the state with 28 home runs, a 21 home run improvement on the previous season. While at Northview, King also served as a professional hitting and pitching instructor at USA FastBall Elite Training Academy, where he stayed until 2008.
King began his coaching career at Grand Rapids Community College as the assistant softball coach and head recruiter. During his three seasons with Grand Rapids, King helped develop the program into a national title contender.
Playing Experience
King has an extensive playing background spanning from 1985-2003. Between 1998 and 2002, King was the starting centerfielder for the Midland Explorers, the No. 4 team in the world, and spent 2003 with the No. 3 Waterloo Hallman Twins.
King was a first-team All-American, as well as state and national tournament MVP with the Kamphuis Pipeline in 1997. In 1996, King helped lead the Midland Metros to the national championship.
King played baseball for Hope College (Holland, Mich.) from 1985-88 where he earned bachlor’s degrees in both sociology and psychology. He earned his master’s in social work from Grand Valley State University in 1994. His wife, Sue, is an elementary educator and they have four children.
