Jonathan Wallace - Football - Kansas Jayhawks

Jonathan Wallace

TITLE Assistant Coach - Running Backs
PHONE 864-3392

Bio

Jonathan Wallace is in his fourth season at Kansas after joining the coaching staff in February of 2020. He currently serves as KU’s running backs coach on head coach Lance Leipold’s staff.

Wallace continues to draw recognition for his work in Lawrence, most recently being selected for the AFCA 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute in December 2023. Prior to the season, he was recognized as one of college football’s rising stars in 2023, earning a spot on 247Sports’ 30Under30 list heading into the season.

During the 2023 season, Kansas had one of the top running back rooms in the nation, led by junior Devin Neal, an All-Big 12 Second Team selection. Neal ranked fifth in the Big 12 with 1,209 yards on the ground, third in the league with 15 rushing touchdowns and an average of 6.6 yards per carry.

Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr. have been a dynamic duo in the backfield, rushing for a combined 1,808 yards, which ranked fourth among FBS programs during the regular season. Hishaw ran for 599 yards and eight touchdowns on 116 carries, averaging 5.2 yards per carry. In KU’s 51-22 victory over UCF on Oct. 7, Neal and Hishaw led the way as Kansas rushed for 399 yards and five touchdowns. The duo combined for 288 yards and three touchdowns, with both players rushing for more than 130 yards, marking the fourth time in KU history and first time since 1995 that two players rushed for 130+ yards in the same game.

In 2022, Wallace assisted as the Jayhawks qualified for a bowl game for the first time since 2008 and reached the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2009. Kansas started the season 5-0 and hosted ESPN’s College Gameday for the first time in program history.

Led by All-Big 12 honorable mention selection Devin Neal, Kansas rushed for 2,395 yards – an average of 184.2 per game – and scored 29 rushing touchdowns. Neal rushed for 1,090 yards and nine touchdowns on 180 carries, averaging 6.1 yards per carry and 83.8 yards per game as he became the first Jayhawk to rush for over 1,000 yards since 2019. He was also the first Jayhawk since June Henley in 1996 to rush for at least 190 yards in back-to-back games after rushing for 224 yards against Oklahoma State and 190 yards against Texas Tech. For his efforts against OSU, Neal was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week.

Wallace came to Lawrence after spending the 2019 season coaching the tight ends at Air Force and the 2018 season on the staff at Bethel.

In his first season in Lawrence, Wallace oversaw the Kansas rushing unit, which consisted of Pooka Williams Jr., and Velton Gardner and freshmen Daniel Hishaw Jr., and Amauri Pesek-Hickson. As true freshmen, Hishaw and Pesek-Hickson combined for more than 400 yards rushing and two touchdowns on just over 90 carries.

Wallace spent the 2019 campaign at Air Force, helping lead the Falcons to an 11-2 overall mark and a win over Washington State in the Cheez-It Bowl. Air Force posted a 7-1 record in the Mountain West, a school record for conference wins, and finished the year in the Top 25 national rankings for the first time since 1998. Wallace’s tight ends were instrumental in blocking for the FBS’ second-ranked rushing offense, while the Falcons led the nation in fewest sacks allowed.

Wallace joined the Academy from Bethel, where he was wide receivers coach and director of football operations in 2018. He and Dearmon led the Wildcats to a 10-1 overall record and a conference championship.

Wallace was an offensive graduate assistant coach at Auburn from 2016-17 working with quarterbacks and wide receivers during the 2017 season. He helped the Tigers to a pair of bowl games and Southeastern Conference championship game appearance in his two seasons on the staff.

Wallace lettered as a quarterback at Auburn from 2012-14 and wide receiver in 2015 during his playing career. He started at quarterback the final four games of his freshman season and set an Auburn record for quarterback efficiency (139.60) Wallace also helped Auburn to the SEC title in 2013 and was part of the national championship run when Auburn finished the season 12-1. He was selected as a team captain in 2015 and earned the Unsung Hero Award. In addition, he was a selected as a member of the All-State Good Works team.

A native of Phenix City, Alabama, Wallace helped lead Central High School to a 12-2 record and the 6A AHSAA semifinals as a senior. He graduated from Auburn with a bachelor’s in physical education in 2015 and a master’s in adult education in 2017. He is married to Ashley Kotero, a former Auburn soccer student-athlete and former member of the Mexico national soccer team, with two children, J.J. and Joanna.

THE WALLACE FILE
Alma Mater: Auburn
Hometown: Phenix City, Alabama
Wife: Ashley
Children: J.J. and Joanna

Coaching Experience 
YearsUniversityRole
2020 - PresentKansasRunning Backs
2019Air ForceAssistant Coach
2018Bethel CollegeAssistant Coach/Director of Football Operations
2016-17AuburnGraduate Assistant

PLAYING EXPERIENCE
Auburn

 Bowl Game Experience 
YearBowlSchool
2023Guaranteed Rate BowlKansas
2022AutoZone Liberty BowlKansas
2019Cheez-It BowlAir Force
2017Peach BowlAuburn
2016Sugar BowlAuburn
Football 🏈 Jonathan Wallace Selected to AFCA’s 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute

Kansas Running Backs Coach Jonathan Wallace has been announced as a member of the 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute, presented by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).

Football 🏈 Jonathan Wallace Listed on 247Sports 30Under30 List

Kansas Running Backs Coach Jonathan Wallace earned recognition as one of college football’s rising stars from 247Sports, which unveiled its 30Under30 list for 2023 Tuesday.

Football Jonathan Wallace: More Than a Coach

Becoming a father changed me. It might sound cliché, but every time I look into my son's eyes, I see myself in him. This is now my flesh and blood, and I get to pour everything into him. When it comes to coaching, it's really not all that different.