UTEP Volleyball Coach Ben Wallis Signs Extension
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Ben Wallis, who has led the UTEP volleyball program to unprecedented success over the last five seasons, has signed a two-year contract extension that will keep him entrenched as head coach of the Miners through at least August of 2029.
Since taking the reins of the program for the 2019 season, Wallis has directed the Miners to an overall record of 94-54 (.635), including a 43-25 (.632) mark in Conference USA. Over the last three seasons, UTEP has averaged 22 victories, including making the only two postseason tournament appearances (NIVC) in school history in 2021 and 2023. The Miners finished runner-up at the event in 2023.
“Under the direction of coach Wallis and his staff, the volleyball program has been a shining beacon for our athletic department and our University,” UTEP Vice President and Director of Athletics Jim Senter said. “Not only have the Miners won at an extremely high level, they have captured the hearts of El Pasoans while drawing record crowds to Memorial Gym. We are delighted that coach Wallis will continue to be our head coach for the foreseeable future.”
“My wife Leah and I are very excited about the opportunity to be a part of the UTEP family and the El Paso community for the next five years and beyond,” Wallis said. “The commitment from the athletic department and Mr. Senter toward getting a new contract done has been smooth, and we're excited and extremely thankful for the opportunity to continue to lead this volleyball program.
“I’ve had a lot of our recruits in the last year ask if our staff is going to be in El Paso much longer and I'm hopeful that this not only shows them how much faith we have in the future of UTEP Volleyball, but more importantly that we think we can continue to win at a high level in Conference USA for a long time!”
Wallis’ win percentage ranks first in program history, while he rates second in victories behind Norm Brandl, who coached the Miners for 23 seasons from 1976-98.
The Miners’ average attendance at Memorial has soared from 581 fans in Wallis’ first season to 1,560 in 2023, including sellout crowds of 3,271 for NIVC matches versus Clemson, USF and Wichita State. This year, UTEP has sold over 700 volleyball season tickets
UTEP’s volleyball student-athletes have excelled off the court as well, fashioning team grade point averages of 3.56 and 3.51 respectively over the last two seasons.
The Miners (5-1) will return to Memorial Gym to host the Southwest Showdown later this month with matchups versus UTGRV (Sept. 20, 5:30 pm), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Sept. 21, noon) and Texas State (Sept. 22, noon). Tickets are available by visiting www.UTEPMiners.com or by calling (915) 747-UTEP.
