Secondary / Special Teams Seth Wallace

Seth Wallace

Entering his first season with Valdosta State, Seth Wallace looks to continue the success of perhaps the most productive unit of the Blazer defense over the past several years.

Wallace is no stranger to the sport of football on the collegiate level, where he has spent nearly half of his 30 years. He has spent the last eight seasons coaching with one successful team after another on the NCAA Division I and III ranks after spending the previous four as an All-Conference wide receiver at Division III's Coe College. The varied experience has given Wallace a wide range of knowledge in how to win in all aspects of being a NCAA student-athlete.

For the last three years, Wallace has served as a defensive graduate assistant with the Big Ten's Iowa Hawkeyes. Wallace worked primarily with the Hawkeye secondary during his three year stay in Iowa City, helping direct a squad that led the Big Ten in turnover margin and red zone defense in 2007 while finishing first in scoring defense and interceptions as well as second in total defense in 2008. Seven times a player was named All-Big Ten under Wallace's watch, including Charles Godfrey who earned All-America honors in 2008. The Hawkeyes won the 2009 Outback Bowl and also participated in the 2006 Alamo Bowl during his three years with the school.

Wallace's tutelage wasn't just limited to the defensive side of the ball as he also assisted with the Hawkeye special teams units. He worked closely with the punt return defense, a unit that led the nation in 2006, fifth in 2008 and 20th in 2007. His kickoff return squad was 10th nationally in 2007 while the Iowa defense was fourth nationally in interceptions during his final season.

Prior to Iowa, Wallace spent three seasons at Division III's Lake Forest College, the first working with the defensive secondary and serving as the special teams coordinator before taking over as the offensive coordinator for the 2004 and 2005 seasons. The Foresters compiled a 19-11 record during his three seasons with the Illinois school, including a school record eight victories during his first season directing the team's offense. Overall, Lake Forest went 12-8 with Wallace as its offensive coordinator while establishing nine school records, including total offense and passing offense, while posting the third highest scoring total in school history. Nine of his players earned all-conference honors during the two year span while four were recognized as Academic All-Conference.

Wallace arrived at Lake Forest in 2003 as the school's defensive secondary coach and special teams coordinator. The school posted a 7-3 record that season and two of the team's defensive backs earned All-Midwest Conference honors, a recognition also garnered by the squad's punter. The Foresters led the Midwest Conference in scoring defense, passing defense and total defense in 2003 and its 18 interceptions on the season ranked as the third-most in school history. Wallace also served as the LFC recruiting coordinator all three seasons with the school.

Wallace began his coaching career at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He worked with the team's wide receivers and tight ends while also serving as a special teams assistant both seasons with the Kohawks, helping the school to a 16-6 record in his two seasons. CC won the Iowa Conference title in his final year with the school in 2002 and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. The Kohawks led the IIAC in total offense, punt returns and kickoff returns during the year, after also finishing first in passing offense and kickoff returns in 2001.

As a player at Coe, Wallace was a four-year starter at wide receiver while also serving as one of the school's return specialists. He earned All-Conference honors in both 1999 and 2000 and led the nation as a punter returner as a freshman in 1997, when he averaged 30.1 yards per return, the third-highest average in NCAA Division III history. Wallace ranked 26th in the Division III ranks in receiving yards in 2000 and finished his career among the top three in Coe College history in receiving yards in a game, season and career.

Wallace played his prep career at Grinnell High School, where he earned All-State honors at running back as a senior in 1996. He helped his school advance to the Iowa Class 3A state quarterfinals in his final year and participated in the Iowa High School Shrine Bowl following the season.

The son of Grinnell College athletic director and former head football coach Greg Wallace, Wallace is a member of the American Football Coaches Association. He earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from Coe in 2001 and completed a Master's in Sports Management from Iowa in December of 2008.

Wallace is a native of Danville, Ky. and is married to the former Erica Severson of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.