ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – UCF Vice President and Director of Athletics Danny White named Greg Lovelady the Knights’ new head baseball coach Monday evening.
Lovelady was the head coach at Wright State for the past three seasons and was with the Raiders for a total of 12 years. As head coach, he has compiled a 124-56 record. Wright State has won the Horizon League Regular Season or Tournament Championship (or both) in each of Lovelady’s three seasons at the helm. He was named the 2014 and 2016 Horizon League Coach of the Year. This past season, Lovelady was also honored as the ABCA/Diamond Mideast Regional Coach of the Year.
25694In 2015 and 2016, Lovelady’s WSU squads reached the championship round at an NCAA Regional. The Raiders won a school-record 46 games this past season, after posting a then-school record 43 wins in 2015.
Lovelady was born in Miami and went on to win two national championships as a player for the hometown Hurricanes. He was the starting catcher on Miami’s 1999 and 2001 title squads. He was a team captain on the 2001 championship team and a four-year letterman. Following his playing days, Lovelady began his coaching career with UM from 2002-04. During his time as a player and coach at Miami, Lovelady never missed the postseason and advanced to the super regional round seven times, while earning trips to Omaha and the College World Series five times.
“I’m very excited about the pedigree Greg Lovelady brings with him to UCF,” White said. “With two national championships as a player at Miami and the success he’s had as a head coach at Wright State, he’s a proven winner. What he has accomplished during his tenure as a head coach is impressive. I look forward to seeing him continue to build on that sort of success with the Knights. I’m excited to welcome Greg, his wife Lindsay and their family to UCF.”
Lovelady spoke with the team Monday night via video conference and later said he is excited joining the Knights.
“I want to thank Danny White and Brad Stricklin for their efforts on the search,” Lovelady said. “They did a great job of getting everything done so quickly. I’m excited to get down there and meet our team in person. This is a great opportunity for me and my family. I’m looking forward to working with this group of guys to bring championships to UCF and Orlando.”
During the 2016 campaign, Lovelady’s Wright State squad led the Horizon League in 14 statistical categories. The Raiders were tops in the league in: hits, walks, runs scored, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, triples, home runs, hit batsmen, sacrifice bunts, sacrifice flies, earned-run average, hits allowed, walks allowed and strikeout-to-walk ratio. Wright State was No. 5 in the nation last season in walks allowed, No. 15 in walks and No. 19 in runs scored.
Prior to becoming head coach at Wright State, he served the Raiders as an assistant or associate head coach from 2005-13. He was the recruiting coordinator, pitching coach and worked with the catchers during that nine-year stretch. The Raiders advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2006, 2009 and 2011.
Lovelady holds a finance degree from Miami, graduating in 2001.
The Lovelady File
Born – January 11, 1979
Hometown – Miami
College – Miami (Fla.)
Family – Wife, Lindsay; Sons, Noah and Gavin
Head Coaching Highlights
2016 – ABCA/Diamond Mideast Region Coach of the Year
2016 – NCAA Louisville Regional
2016 – Horizon League Regular Season & Tournament Championships
2016 – Horizon League Coach of the Year
2015 – NCAA Champaign Regional
2015 – Horizon League Tournament Championship
2014 – Horizon League Coach of the Year
2014 – Horizon League Regular Season Championship
Coaching Record
2016 – 46-17 (23-6 Horizon League) – NCAA Louisville Region Runner-Up
2015 – 43-17 (21-8 Horizon League) – NCAA Champaign Region Runner-Up
2014 – 35-22 (25-4 Horizon League)
