Riley Wallace
Riley Wallace (born October 25, 1941)
Current position: Centenary Gentleman, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
Centenary record: 15-27 (.357)
Hawaii record: 334-265 (.558)
Overall record^: 349-292 (.544)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 3 (1994, 2001, 2002)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 6 (1989, 1990, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2004)
- WAC Regular Season Champion: 2 (1997, 2002)
- WAC Tournament Champion: 3 (1994, 2001, 2002)
Awards:
- WAC Coach of the Year: 3 (1989, 1997, 2002)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 1987-2007 | Hawaii |
| 1984-1987 | Seminole JC |
| 1978-1984 | Hawaii (assoc. HC) |
| 1976-1978 | Centenary |
| 1971-1976 | Centenary (asst) |
Riley Wallace Facts
- Robert Riley Wallace
- Born October 25, 1941
- Hometown: Jerseyville, Illinois
- Alma Mater: Centenary College (BS, 1964) / University of Illinois (M.Ed, 1968)
- Born in Alton, IL and raised in Jerseyville, IL, where he attended Jerseyville Community HS
- Attended then-Division I Centenary in Shreveport, LA, spending three seasons playing under head coach Orvis Sigler
- Became an assistant coach under Larry Little at Litchfield HS (IL) in 1964, then two years later became the head coach
- Went 69–59 over five seasons and also served as the track and field head coach
- Returned to alma mater Centenary College in 1971, spending five seasons as an assistant (again under Little)
- Became the head coach in 1976, going 15-27 over roughly one and a half seasons
- Moved on to Hawaii in 1978 for a third stint on Little’s staff, spending six years as his associate head coach
- Spent three years as head coach at Seminole JC (OK); went 68-36 overall and won 26 games in each of his first two seasons
- Hired in 1987 to be the head coach at Hawaii, leading the Rainbow Warriors for the next 20 seasons
- Compiled a 334-265 record overall, going to three NCAA Tournaments and six NITs
- Named WAC Coach of the Year three times, won two WAC titles and three WAC Tournaments
- Retired from coaching 2007 after 43 years in coaching; has (by far) the most wins of any Hawaii head coach
- Along with his wife, Joan, has one son and one daughter
Riley Wallace Coaching Tree
- Jamie Dixon (TCU, Pittsburgh)
- Eran Ganot (Hawaii)
- Rich Glas (Concordia MN, North Dakota)
- Ron Kestenbaum (Brooklyn College, Arkansas-Little Rock)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I level only
