Legendary SMC Baseball Coach Tim Wallace Passes Away
It is with great sadness that Spartanburg Methodist College announces the passing of Hall of Fame Baseball Coach Tim Wallace.
Our prayers go out to his family and friends in this difficult time.
“Simply put, Tim Wallace was a legend on the baseball diamond and here at SMC. To achieve the level of success he did for as long as he did, just exemplifies his dedication, commitment, and drive for teaching his players to be better athletes and better young men,” said SMC Athletic Director Megan Aiello. “Our condolences go out to his family in this difficult time. We want them to know that he was a mentor and friend to many of us here, and we’ll miss him terribly.”
Coach Wallace was a fixture on the SMC baseball field for 34 years, and his memory will always live on here.
Wallace achieved nearly every accolade available to a coach at his level, including induction into the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2014 and accumulating 1,351 wins, fourth most for a college baseball coach as of the end of the 2024 season, according to the Society for American Baseball Research.
In Wallace’s 34 years at SMC, he led the program to the heights of success amassing 12 NJCAA Region 10 titles and seven trips to the Division 1 JUCO World Series, including three in a row from 2012 – 2014. He was named Region 10 Coach of the Year eight times, Eastern District Coach of the Year six times, and American Baseball Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year numerous times. He was also a part of the inaugural group of recipients for the NJCAA Coaches Legacy Awards. He also provided a number of other coaches with their start in the sport.
For Wallace, it was all about the players. He said his most important achievement has been the quality of young men who have come through the program and his opportunity to help shape them on and off the field. Wallace mentored 18 NJCAA All-Americans, hundreds who have gone on to NCAA Division I programs, and more than 150 who signed professional contracts, most notably four-time Major League Baseball All-Star and three-time gold glove winner Orlando Hudson, who played for Wallace in 1997 and 1998.
In addition to his accolades as a coach, Wallace was also an accomplished player. He started his college career at Baptist College (now Charleston Southern) before moving on to Wofford for his final three years. He was drafted in the second round of the MLB draft and played seven years of professional baseball. He is also a member of the SMC Hall of Honor and the Wofford College Athletic Hall of Fame.
No information on services is available at this time.