Union University Athletics

Bryan Wallen was named the Union University assistant softball coach in August 2023. Just prior to coming to Union, Wallen was the Director of Player Development for the softball team at Southeast Missouri State University in the spring of 2023 and helped lead the team to a regular season Ohio Valley Conference Title.

Wallen joined Union after nearly 30 years of teaching and coaching at the high school level in Missouri. He spent 28 years teaching at Park Hills Central High School where he coached baseball for 15 seasons (1999-2013), winning 165 games, two conference championships and a district championship. He also was the head softball coach at Park Hills Central in two different stints, from 1998-2003 and 2011-19, winning 191 games. Upon his return to the softball field in 2011, his teams won five conference championships and four district championships. His teams advanced to the state quarterfinals twice and finished runner-up in the state in 2018. 

Wallen then coached for four years at neighboring Farmington High School while still teaching at Park Hills Central. In the four years from 2020-23, he led Farmington to two district titles, 96 total wins, and the school's first ever Southeast Missouri Conference title.   

In Wallen's career, he has coached 20 all-state players and numerous academic all-state players. Since 2011, each of his softball teams have had at least six academic all-state players. His 2018 team finished first in the state in team GPA, while his 2021 team finished second. 

Wallen spent 11 years coaching travel softball for the St. Louis Chaos, Midland Magic, and Top Gun organizations. He has coached over 100 college players. In 2023, Wallen finished his two-year term as the president of the Missouri High School Fast pitch Coaches' Association. Prior to his term as president, he served on the executive board as the annual clinic organizer, where he brought in over 100 speakers from all levels of high school and college. He has conducted private lessons and clinics for the last 13 years, spoken at numerous clinics, and has assisted at several college softball camps. 

Wallen graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 1995 with a degree in math education. He added a masters degree in teaching in 2013, also from SEMO. 

Wallen also served as a bi-vocational youth pastor for 16 years at Esther Baptist Church. 

Wallen and his wife, Kacy (retired pre-school teacher), were married in November 1996. They have two daughters, Chrissy (Webster University graduate, Professional Dancer) and Kimmy (Southeast Missouri State University graduate, softball player, on staff with FCA at USI).