Anthony “Ace” Wales joined the MoState staff in the spring of 2024 as the squad’s running backs coach.
His debut in Springfield was more than impressive, garnering two all-conference running backs in second-team selection Jacardia Wright and honorable mention pick Jayden Becks. Wright racked up 824 rushing yards and 16 total touchdowns before signing a free agent deal with the Seahawks in April 2025, while Becks had 695 combined rushing and receiving yards. The tandem accounted for 2,368 all-purpose yards for the season as the club’s top two yardage producers in a record-setting offensive season.
Wales spent the 2023 season at the University of Louisville where he served as a graduate assistant for the Cardinals staff. He was part of a 10-4 season that culminated in a 7-1 record in the ACC, an appearance in the ACC title game against Florida State and a trip to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego to play USC.
Prior to his time in Louisville, he was on the coaching staff at his alma mater, Western Kentucky, where he was a recruiting coordinator and quality control assistant during the 2022 campaign.
Wales was a high school head coach at Iroquois High School in Kentucky in 2021 before returning to the collegiate ranks. He also spent time as a high school assistant from 2018-2020 at Iroquois, Louisville Central and Evangel Christian School.
The Louisville native earned All-CUSA second-team honors in 2015 and Preseason All-CUSA distinction in 2016 where he also appeared on the Doak Walker Watch List for the Hilltoppers. He led the nation in rushing touchdowns (27) and points per game in 2016 to earn team MVP honors after leading WKU to conference titles in 2015 and 2016.
Wales finished his illustrious prep career at Central High School in Louisville ranked third in KHSAA history in career rushing yards with 8,213 yards while racking up 114 touchdowns and back-to-back 3A state titles in 2010 and 2011. He rushed for 2,784 yards in his senior season and earned first-team all-state and district player of the year.
He holds graduate (2022) and undergraduate (2016) degrees from WKU with his bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Business.
