Greg Lovelady

A three-time conference coach of the year with 349 career victories and head coaching experience at UCF and Wright State, Greg Lovelady joined Purdue Baseball as an assistant coach in July 2024. Lovelady has a lead role working with the program’s hitters and catchers. In 10 seasons as a head coach – seven at UCF (2017-23) and three at Wright State (2014-16) – Lovelady’s teams never finished with a sub-.500 overall record, winning at least 30 games in all but the abbreviated 2020 campaign (15-3 and ranked No. 12 when the season was shut down). He led WSU to four Horizon League titles (two regular season, two tournament) and two NCAA Regional appearances. In his first season at UCF, the Knights won 40 games and the American Athletic Conference title, earning an at-large bid for a Regional. UCF was among the first four teams omitted from the 64-team field the following two years. Lovelady has coached 55 MLB Draft picks during his 22-year coaching career. UCF had 10 players drafted in the first 10 rounds, including seven in the first five rounds, from 2017 to 2023. He spent 12 seasons total at Wright State, including seven as an associate head coach and recruiting coordinator while coaching hitters, catchers and pitchers as needed. He also has coaching experience in the USA Baseball system. As a player at the University of Miami, Lovelady helped the Hurricanes win the College World Series in 1999 and 2001. The four-year letterwinner was a fan favorite and served as a team captain as a senior in 2001. He started all four games in Omaha as a sophomore in 1999 and the final three games two years later while closing out his college career as an NCAA champion. Lovelady started his coaching career in Coral Gables and helped Miami go to Omaha two more times as an assistant from 2002-04. The Hurricanes were an NCAA Super Regional qualifier in all seven seasons he was in the dugout. “We’re blessed to add Greg to our program – he’s truly a big-time addition to our coaching staff,” Goff said. “He’s been a proven winner throughout his coaching career and dating back to his playing days during Miami’s dynasty. Being able to bring in a coach with 300 wins and experience in Omaha as a player and coach makes this an elite hire that will make everyone better at Alexander Field. I’m excited about the experienced staff we have assembled.” During his 22 seasons as a coach, Lovelady’s team have won 30 games 20 times and qualified for the NCAA Tournament nine times. As a head coach, he has compiled a 349-204 overall record (.631) and 152-86 mark (.639) in conference play. Lovelady was the ABCA Mideast Region Coach of the Year in 2016 after leading Wright State to a school record 46 wins and the No. 3 seed at the NCAA Regional in Louisville. He was also the AAC Coach of the Year in 2017 and Horizon League Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2016. “The opportunity to join the staff at Purdue is the right fit for my family and me,” Lovelady said. “Greg Goff’s program was appealing because of the way he runs it with a combined focus on work ethic and an aggressive style of play coupled with the family atmosphere. My wife, Lindsay, and I are excited to return to the Midwest. She’s an Ohio native and our sons were born in Dayton – we really enjoyed our extended time there before making the move to Orlando. I’m very thankful to Coach Goff for bringing me aboard. Teaming up with experienced coaches like Goff, Josh Newman, Barrett Serrato and John Madia has great potential for the future.” Lovelady worked under Rob Cooper at Wright State, ascending to head coach when Cooper left to take over the Penn State program in the summer of 2013. Newman was the pitching coach on Cooper’s staff at Penn State for six seasons before coming to Purdue last summer. Wright State was a combined 89-34 in Lovelady’s final two seasons. After the 40-win season at UCF in 2017, his teams went 129-56 (.697) during the wildly successful three-year stretch. At Miami, Lovelady received the Arnold Novins Award as a senior, an honor bestowed upon the program’s most popular player as voted by the fans. He batted .318 with 14 extra-base hits and 36 RBI in 42 games during the 1999 national championship season. With Lovelady behind the plate, the Hurricanes went 7-0 in Omaha during their championship runs. He worked with a pitching staff that surrendered only 12 runs while racking up 37 strikeouts vs. 27 hits allowed in 36 College World Series Innings in 1999. Two years later, the Hurricanes’ staff gave up only eight runs over three games with Lovelady behind the plate in Omaha. His two-run double was the difference in a 4-3 win vs. USC in a second-round win in 2001. The dean’s list student-athlete graduated with a degree in finance in 2001. Lovelady signed with the Florida Marlins in the summer of 2001 and played for the Utica Blue Sox of the New York-Penn League before opting to begin his coaching career at Miami during the 2001-02 school year. Greg and Lindsay Lovelady are the parents of two sons – Noah and Gavin. LOVELADY'S COACHING CAREER BY SEASON Purdue – Hired in July 2024 UCF (Head Coach) – 2017-23 Wright State (Head Coach) – 2014-16 Wright State – 2005-13 University of Miami – 2002-04