February 27, 2006
Van Malone has been named the cornerbacks coach at Texas A&M University, Aggie Head Football Coach Dennis Franchione announced today.
?I am pleased to announce that Van Malone will coach our cornerbacks,? Coach Fran said. ?He is a bright young coach who will do a great job of developing our defensive backs and he is an excellent recruiter.?
Malone comes to Aggieland from Arizona State where he was recently hired to coach running backs.
?I am excited to have the opportunity to coach at Texas A&M and to work with this outstanding coaching staff,? Malone said. ?Coach Fran is one of the best in the business.?
Malone, 35, coached defensive backs at the University of North Texas during the 2005 season for Head Coach Darrell Dickey. Malone recruited the Houston and Southeast Texas areas and he assisted the special teams.
Malone worked with current Aggie defensive coordinator Gary Darnell at Western Michigan in 2004, serving as cornerbacks coach and assisting with special teams. In addition to recruiting the Houston area, Malone recruited the Chicago area.
During the 2003 season, Malone served a NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship with the Detroit Lions and also worked with wide receivers at North Dakota State University.
Malone played five seasons in the NFL after being drafted in the second round by the Detroit Lions in 1994. He played in every game as a rookie and was a standout special teams player earning Special Teams Player of the Week on six different occasions. His special teams play earned him a nomination for the Pro Bowl in 1994 and 1995. The Lions reached the NFL playoffs in both 1994 and 1995. In 1996, Malone started every game and was named the special teams captain and was awarded a game ball three times. After the 1997 season, Malone signed a contract with the Arizona Cardinals and retired after the 1998 season due to injury.
During his time with the Lions, Malone was a marketing intern with Reebok International and also provided post-game analysis and commentary for Fox Television Sports as a co-host in Detroit (Fox2). He was a True Value/NFL Man of the Year and was called on by the club to speak to many organizations.
Beginning in 1997, Malone was a youth camp director and football coordinator at the Texas Sports Development Academy in San Antonio, Texas. He also co-founded and headed up the New Beginnings, a non-profit charity organization in Houston.
Malone started coaching in the high school ranks at his alma mater, Houston Waltrip High School from 1999-2002. He also coached at Conroe High School from 2002-03. He earned the Houston High School Coaches Association ?Assistant Coach of the Year? in 2000 and was also honored by the Houston Police Department as a ?Lifesaver of the Year Award.? He finished work on a second degree from the University of Houston in 2002.
Malone was a four-year letterman (1990-93) at Texas earning third-team All-America honors and All-SWC accolades as a defensive back his senior season. He was honored as a Longhorn team captain and graduated in 1993. He was awarded the Darrell Royal Award for tenacity in 1993. He played in the Blue-Gray All-Star Classic and the Hula Bowl. As a freshman in 1990, Malone earned The Sporting News Freshman All-America mention as Texas won the Southwest Conference Championship.
Malone continues to serve on the National Minority Issues Committee and the Professional Development Committee of the American Football Coaches Assocation (AFCA). He is a life member of the Texas High School Coaches Association and was a member of the Houston Coaches Association (1998-2003) and the Houston Area Minority Coaches Association (1998-2003). He is a member of the National Black Coaches Association and the National Federation of High School Coaches Association.
Malone is married and his wife?â„¢s name is Nedra. They have three boys Van (6), Von (5) and Vincent (three months).
Malone replaces Melvin Smith who left to take a position at Mississippi State University.