Deacons Daily

Tom Walter Completes 2026 Staff with Key Additions at Wake Forest

The head coach of the Demon Deacons has built an impressive coaching staff ahead of the 2026 college baseball season.
Carson Wersal|
Jun 17, 2023; Omaha, NE, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Tom Walter on the field before a game against the Stanford Cardinal at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images
Jun 17, 2023; Omaha, NE, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Tom Walter on the field before a game against the Stanford Cardinal at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

On Tuesday afternoon, the news broke that Head Baseball Coach Tom Walter has completed the hiring of his coaching staff for the upcoming college baseball season. Walter, who enters his 16th season as Wake Forest's head coach, is joined by Matt Morales and Ryan Hendricks.

Morales was hired as an assistant coach, while Hendricks joined the Demon Deacons as a coordinator of player development and baseball operations. Both Morales and Hendricks bring a plethora of baseball experience to Wake Forest's baseball program.

After being drafted by the Cubs as a junior at Stetson, Morales returned to the college scene, working as a student assistant at Florida State. Before being hired at Wake Forest, Morales worked as the head coach at UAB before spending time as an MLB scout for the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs.

Hendricks began his baseball career at George Washington University and St. Andrews University before being drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 1994. After spending four seasons in the Orioles organization, Hendricks earned a degree from the University of Baltimore before joining the United States Air Force. He retired from the Air Force as a Colonel this past July.

What do the New Coaching Hires Mean for the Deacons?

Tom Walter
May 25, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Wake Forest head coach Tom Walter watches the game agains Florida State during the ACC Baseball Tournament at Truist Field. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

The additions of Morales and Hendricks mean something more than just a new face for the Deacons in 2026. For the past decade, Wake Forest has been a program at the forefront of college baseball. Often, programs can be separated into two categories in terms of what a coaching staff emphasizes.

There are baseball programs that focus on player development and programs that focus on winning as many games as possible in a given season. Wake Forest, under Tom Walter, has found a way to do both of these things simultaneously. With over 450 wins in 15 seasons, the Demon Deacons have become a consistent threat in both the ACC and the NCAA Tournament.

The hiring of Morales and Hendricks is a sign that Wake Forest is willing to constantly reevaluate and adapt to remain among the premier programs in college baseball. By bringing in experienced veterans in coaching and player evaluation, the Demon Deacons seem to be showing a commitment to immediate success and long-term stability.

As the 2026 season fast-approaches, the diverse perspectives from Morales and Hendricks could keep a solid Wake Forest program in that upper echelon of college baseball teams.

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Carson Wersal
CARSON WERSAL

Carson, a 2025 TCU graduate, is a sports journalist who covers college athletics for several On SI sites. While most of his experience is with TCU On SI, he also writes with Wake Forest On SI and Houston On SI. He also has a passion for the college baseball scene, most notably being a fan of TCU Baseball. In 2023, Carson was in Omaha and reported on the Men’s College World Series, where TCU finished 4th in the nation. His past work not only consists of major sports like football, basketball, and baseball, but with others like track and field and cross country as well.

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