James Wallace was introduced as LeTourneau University's head men's basketball coach on April 27, 2021. The 2025-26 season will be his fifth at the helm of the program, and 12th overall at LeTourneau.
FAST FACTS
- Years at LeTourneau (as MBB head coach): 4 (2021-present)
- Years at LeTourneau (overall): 11 (2014-present)
- Coaching record: 69-37 (.651)
- Conference record: 38-23 (.623)
- Conference Tournaments: 4
- Conference Coach of the Year: 1 (ASC, 2021-22)
- 1st career coaching win: Nov. 12, 2021 vs. Texas Lutheran (W, 79-67)
PROGRAM ACCOLADES UNDER WALLACE (HEAD COACH)
- 1 D3hoops.com All-American (Deonte Jackson, 2024-25)
- 1 NABC All-American (Deonte Jackson, 2024-25)
- 1 Conference Player of the Year (Deonte Jackson, ASC, 2024-25)
- 12 All-ASC selections (4 first team)
- 1 ASC Defensive Player of the Year (Warren Richardson, 2022-23)
- 2 NABC All-District selections
- 1 D3hoops.com Region Player of the Year (Deonte Jackson, 2024-25)
- 3 D3hoops.com All-Region honorees
- 4 ASC All-Defensive Team honorees
- 1 D3hoops.com Team of the Week selection
- 12 ASC Player of the Week honorees
- 1 ASC Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year (Justin Moore, 2021-22)
- 1 ASC Fred Jacoby Award winner (Justin Moore, 2021-22)
- 1 CSC Academic All-District honoree
- 42 ASC Academic All-Conference selections
- 2 NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards (2022-23, 2023-24)
- 11 NABC Honors Court selections
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS (HEAD COACH)
The 2024-25 edition of Wallace's team saw the YellowJackets go 18-8 and finish second in the ASC. Deonte Jackson concluded his prolific career with ASC Player of the Year honors and a pair of All-America accolades from D3hoops.com and the NABC. LeTourneau had four All-ASC selections -- the most in the Wallace era -- and Jackson was a five-time ASC Player of the Week honoree. LeTourneau averaged 83.7 points per game, with three players averaging at least 14 points per contest. The YellowJackets went 10-2 at home, including a 33-point comeback win over Howard Payne, and have 20 wins in Solheim Arena over the last two years.
In Wallace's third year at the helm of the program, the YellowJackets got back on the winning side with a 17-10 record and advanced to the ASC Tournament semifinals. The season included a sweep of ETBU and 10 wins inside Solheim Arena. Three players earned All-ASC honors. The offense averaged 83.0 points per game while shooting an ASC-best 48.5 percent from the field. LeTourneau had five players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Deonte Jackson at 22.2 points per game, and ranked third in the ASC in assists per game at 15.11.
In 2022-23, Wallace led his team to the ASC Tournament for an eighth straight year. Warren Richardson was named the ASC Defensive Player of the Year while he and Deonte Jackson garnered All-ASC accolades.
In his first season, Wallace was named the ASC Coach of the Year after guiding the YellowJackets to a 22-5 overall record and a 15-4 mark in the ASC. LeTourneau advanced to the ASC Tournament championship game. Andrew Eberhardt and Deonte Jackson were both named to the All-ASC first team as seven YellowJackets tallied conference honors. Eberhardt was an NABC All-District selection and also earned D3hoops.com All-Region.
ASSISTANT COACH JAMES WALLACE
He served as LeTourneau's assistant men's basketball coach for seven seasons from 2014-21, helping guide the program to a 110-64 record with two trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament, two American Southwest Conference East Division regular season titles and one ASC Championship Tournament title.
In 2020-21, Wallace was part of a staff whose team went 7-4 overall, 5-2 in the ASC in a pause-centered season. The YellowJackets qualified for the ASC Championship Tournament for the sixth straight year. Deonte Jackson was named the league's ASC East Division co-Freshman of the Year, a first team All-ASC East choice and ASC East All-Freshman team selection. Andrew Eberhardt was named to the ASC East second team. Kyle Matthews earned ASC East All-Defensive team honors. John Argue was an honorable mention ASC East pick. Isaac Stolzenburg joined Jackson on the ASC East All-Freshman team. The Jackets met five Division I opponents in exhibition games, including NCAA Tournament qualifier Texas Southern, Rice, Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, and New Mexico.
In 2019-20, Wallace helped guide the YellowJackets to a 23-6 season, which included the program's first ASC Championship Tournament title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. The YellowJackets' 23 wins were the second most in school history. Nate West broke the ASC career and season scoring marks, while also setting conference and school records in three-point field goals, triple-doubles, assists and steals. West was named the ASC East Division Player of the Year. Four YellowJackets earned All-ASC honors. West led the nation in assists. The YellowJackets received 16 votes in the D3hoops.com Top 25 national poll.
In 2018-19, LeTourneau finished second in the ASC East, a game behind Texas-Dallas. The YellowJackets went 17-9 overall, 11-5 in the ASC. LETU was 10-3 inside Solheim Arena. During the year, the Jackets met three NCAA Tournament teams, which included perennial powerhouse Whitman University, 2019 NCAA Division III Final Four participant Wheaton College, and Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference champion Texas Lutheran University. Four YellowJacket earned All-ASC East Division honors which included All-ASC selection Nate West and ASC East Defensive Player of the Year Caleb Loggins. West also earned D3hoops.com First Team All-South Region and NABC Second Team All-South District honors.
A record-setting season in 2017-18 saw LETU win a school-record 24 games and earn the program's first NCAA Division III Tournament appearance. Wallace was part of a YellowJackets' staff that captured a second consecutive ASC East regular season title while finishing 16-2 in the ASC. In the NCAA Tournament, LETU beat Hanover College, 85-77, before losing to No. 6 Emory University, 83-82, in the Round of 32. LETU finished the season ranked third in the NCAA Division III South Region, and earned votes in the D3hoops.com poll for the first time in school history.
In 2016-17 the YellowJackets went 22-6 overall record and an ASC East Division championship. In addition to the 22 wins, the 2016-17 YellowJackets also set school records for the longest winning streak (12), first two ASC Tournament wins, and first ever NCAA Regional Ranking (4th). With their ASC East championship, the YellowJackets earned the right to host the 2017 ASC Tournament. LETU defeated Sul Ross State and Concordia University before falling to Hardin-Simmons in the league championship game.
In 2015-16, LeTourneau qualified for the ASC Tournament for the first time since the 2012-13 season and fourth time in program history. The YellowJackets posted 12 wins, the program's most since the 2008-09 campaign. The YellowJackets compiled an 8-7 record in the ASC and led the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio, while averaging nearly 80 points per game. One of the eight wins in the ASC was at Mary Hardin-Baylor, the first win in Belton in program history. Three YellowJackets, Jeff Martin (First Team), Alec Colhoff and CJ Edwards (Second Team), earned All-ASC East honors for the most individual honorees in a season in program history. Freshman Caleb Loggins became the first LETU honoree as the ASC East Freshman of the Year since 2005-06, and Martin was the third YellowJacket to be selected as the ASC East Newcomer of the Year. Loggins and fellow freshman Christian Seidl were named to the ASC East All-Freshman Team.
In 2014-15, Wallace was part of a staff that teamed up with 12 newcomers for a promising first season in Longview. The YellowJackets forced opponents into 14.6 turnovers per game, and held opponents to 74.8 points per game. The young team brought an exciting brand of basketball to Solheim Arena with an increase of 100 fans per game from 2013-14. The Jackets fell a game short of making the ASC Tournament.
AS LETOURNEAU HEAD CROSS COUNTRY COACH (2014-15)
During Wallace's first two years at LeTourneau, he served as the head men's and women's cross country coach. In cross country, in 2015, along with assistant coach Britton Koestler, the men's cross country team matched a program-best effort with a second-place finish at the 2015 ASC Cross Country Championships for the fourth straight top-three finish in program history. The YellowJackets were led by Taber Miyauchi and Daniel Moses, who earned first and second team All-ASC honors, respectively. Miyauchi went on to earn co-Male Athlete of the Year honors at LeTourneau and first team CoSIDA Academic All-American and All-District honors. He became the program's top finisher in school history at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional meet with a 60th place finish, en route to leading LeTourneau to its best team finish (18th).
On the women's side, Whitney Judd picked up All-ASC honors, and ran at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional meet for a third straight year. Off the course, senior Luke Funk was recognized as the American Southwest Conference Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year recipient and the LeTourneau Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
In 2014, in his first year, the LeTourneau men's cross country team finished third at the American Southwest Conference Championships and 24th at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional meet. Also, LETU for a third-straight year had three runners in the top 20 at the ASC Championships. Off the course, four YellowJackets (Graeme Anderson, Jonathan Deak, Luke Funk and Taber Miyauchi) were named Academic All-American Southwest Conference.
While at LeTourneau, Wallace also served as the sports information director in 2016-17.
PRIOR TO LETOURNEAU
Prior to coming to LeTourneau, Wallace spent three years at Southwest Minnesota State University, where he served two seasons as a graduate assistant and a season as a student assistant with the Mustangs men’s basketball program. While at Southwest Minnesota State, under head coach Brad Bigler, the Mustangs compiled a record of 66-51 as part of the most successful period in school history.
The Bellevue, Nebraska native arrived at SMSU in 2010, and spent a season on the Mustangs roster before an injury ended his career. He successfully transitioned into a role as a student assistant before taking over as graduate assistant for the last two seasons. He played two seasons at Iowa Western Community College prior to attending SMSU.
Wallace is a 2013 graduate of SMSU with a bachelor's degree in marketing, and earned his master's in business administration at SMSU.
FAMILY
Wallace and his wife, Courtney, have two daughters: Maggie and Hollyn.
YEAR-BY-YEAR (AS HEAD COACH):
2021-22: 22-5, 15-4 ASC
2022-23: 12-14, 9-9 ASC
2023-24: 17-10, 10-6 ASC
2024-25: 18-8, 4-4 ASC
