MALLARD UP CLOSE

PERSONAL

Hometown: Garland, Texas
Wife: LaTarsha Stroman Mallard
Children: Keondra, Aliyah, London
Education:
Texas at El Paso (Bachelor's in Multiple Disciplinary Studies)
Concordia (Master's in Education)

COACHING HISTORY

2012: Texas A&M, Volunteer Assistant
2014-15: Texas Luthern, Assistant Coach (Sprints, Hurdles, Relays)
2014-18: American Track League (Co-Events Director)
2014-18: Channelview ISD (Athletic Coordinator/Coach)
2018-Pres.: Texas A&M, Assistant Coach (800m, Sprints, Relays)

CAREER COACHING ACHIEVEMENTS

46 NCAA All-Americans
27 Conference Champions
7 USATF National Champions
6 World Championship Medalist (2 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze)
9 NCAA National Champions
5 Olympic Medalist (3 gold, 2 bronze)

CAREER ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENTS

Competed at UTEP (1992-94), LSU (1994-95)
Competed Professionally (1997-2005)
Seven-Time Conference Champion (5 WAC, 2 SEC)
Five-Time NCAA All-American
Two-Time Olympic Trials Qualifier (2000,2004)
Texas UIL 5A State Champion in 200m and 400m (1992)
Gold and Silver Medalist at the World Junior Championships (1992)

Last Updated 8/4/2022

Milton Mallard is in his second stint on a Pat Henry coaching staff after serving in a volunteer assistant capacity during the 2011-12 season. Mallard joined the Texas A&M track and field staff on a full-time basis in 2018 as an assistant coach, working with sprints, half-milers, and relays as well as leading the charge in the Aggies’ recruiting efforts.

Entering his fourth season in Aggieland, Mallard has coached numerous NCAA & SEC champions. Texas A&M has won nearly every men’s SEC outdoor 800 meter title and a majority of the SEC 4x400 relay titles since he arrived in Bryan-College Station.

To start the 2022 season, Mallard coached Brandon Miller who won the indoor 800m national champion at 1:47.19, becoming the first Aggie in Texas A&M history to do so. Miller also played a crucial role in the national championship 4x400m relay that ran 3:04.16, while Miller split 45.45. In total, Miller scored 12.5 points accounting for 48% of the team's total 26 points to finish fifth. At the conference level, Mallard mentored Miller to a second consecutive indoor title. The victory marked the fifth consecutive indoor 800m title claimed by the Maroon & White, following Dixon's three-peat beginning in 2018. Miller's winning time of 1:45.24 broke the American collegiate record and Texas A&M school record held by Dixon (1:45.27). The mark registered as the third fastest collegian all-time and as the fourth fastest American all-time. Mallard also coach Bailey Goggans, the SECs top freshman in the women's 800m. Goggans produced two Aggie all-time top-12 marks, including the fourth fastest 1000m (2:50.10) and the fifth fastest 800m (2:05.40).

Success continued to the outdoor season as Mallard produced seven All-Americans and one SEC champion with Moitalel Mpoke in the 400m hurdles. He led true freshman Sam Whitmarsh to a runner-up finish time of 1:46.09, making Whitmarsh the fourth fastest performer in an elite 800m program. During the regular season, his athlete’s set numerous Aggie all-time top-12 marks and most notably he coached Avi’Tal Wilson-Perteete and Goggans to the two fastest times in collegiate history in the 600m at 1:28.02 and 1:30.02. Mallard also assisted the women’s 4x400m who placed runner-up at the SEC Championships, while clocking the second-fastest time in collegiate history at 3:22.01.

The summer of 2022 provided another opportunity for 800m U to shine as Mallard saw three of his athlete’s qualify for the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, on July 15-24. Athing Mu won the USATF women’s 800m title, marking it the seventh time an athlete has earned gold under Mallard’s guidance. Miller made his first career Team USA after placing third in the men’s 800m race, while Nike professional Donavan Brazier earned an automatic spot after winning the title in 2019. Mu won the 800m World Athletics Championships at 1:56.30, becoming the first American woman to win the gold. She also became the youngest woman in history to have won Olympic and world titles in an individual track and field event.

In 2021, Mallard's athletes produced nine NCAA All-America finishes and three NCAA event titles. Most notably he coached Athing Mu who finished the season a four-time All-American and three-time NCAA Champion. Mu set 11 collegiate all-time top-12 marks, including six all-time collegiate records. During the indoor season, Mu set the Under 20 indoor 800m record (1:58.40), while claiming her first career SEC event title. Brandon Miller completed the 800m SEC sweep, it was the fourth time in five seasons that an Aggie claimed the men's 800m title.

During the outdoor season, Mallard's athletes continued to find success on the conference and national level. He coached Mu (400m, 4x400m), Miller (800m) and Moitalel Mpoke (400m hurdles) to SEC event titles. At the NCAA championships, Mu claimed the 400m title in collegiate record breaking fashion at 49.57 and Miller finished as the runner-up in the 800m.

After Mu turned professional, Mallard continued to work with the middle-distance sprinter. At the U.S. Olympic Trials, he coached Mu to an Olympic trials 800m victory and meet record time of 1:56.07. The time bettered her previous American U-20 record, and was the second-fastest outdoor 800m by an American all-time.

At the Tokyo Games, Mu showed her dominance winning two gold medals in the 800m and as a member of the 4x400m. She became the first Olympian in 33 years to win two gold medals before turning 20-years-old. Mu also became the first female American to win the 800m gold since 1968.

Mu is the current American 800m record holder at 1:55.04.

Under his guidance, Mallard’s athletes excelled during the shortened 2020 season with 11 All-America honors and two SEC indoor event titles. Devin Dixon claimed his third consecutive SEC indoor 800m gold, while the men's 4x400m claimed its fourth consecutive SEC title. Carlton Orange and true freshman Charokee Young each earned All-SEC honors with third place finishes in the 800m.

Mallard played a key role in the success of the Aggie women’s fourth-place team finish at the 2019 NCAA Championships in Austin. He coached Jazmine Fray to her first NCAA title in the women’s 800 meters while Devin Dixon (American Collegiate indoor 800m record holder) and Carlton Orange earned second and fourth place finishes in the men’s 800. The Aggies closed both NCAA Championship meets in style by sweeping the mile relays with the men just missing the NCAA record after finishing in 2:59.05.

During his first semester on the job in Spring 2018, Mallard’s athletes swept the SEC Outdoor Meet in the 800 meters while Sammy Watson went on to win the NCAA Championship at the distance. The Aggie women claimed three of the top five spots in the women’s 800 meters at the 2018 SEC Championships while three different 800 meter athletes, headlined by Watson’s NCAA title, scored at the national meet. Mallard also helped coach the Aggie men’s mile relay to an SEC title and an NCAA runner-up finish in 2018.

While Mallard’s coaching impact on the Texas A&M program has been undeniable, it has been even stronger on the recruiting front. Last year, Mallard played a primary role in landing the nation's No.1 overall recruit Athing Mu, who was later named the National High School Indoor Athlete of the Year by Track and Field News. Mallard also landed Missouri Gatorade Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year Brandon Miller, the nation's No. 10 recruit and played a central role in helping secure Texas Gatorade Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year Devon Achane, as well as grad transfer All-American James Smith II from Arizona.

In addition to those listed above, Mallard has played a lead role in landing most of A&M’s top current athletes such as Deborah Acquah, Allon Clay, Lamara Distin, Omajuwa Etiwe, Moitalel Mpoke, Dominique Mustin, Syaira Richardson, Kaylah Robinson, Emmanuel Yeboah, and Charokee Young. Coach Mallard will add top national recruits Bailey Goggans and Sam Whitmarsh to the 800 meter fold in 2021.

Prior to returning to Texas A&M in 2018, Mallard was an athletic coordinator and coach within the Channelview school district. He also served as co-events director for the Houston site of the American Track League.
Following his service as a volunteer coach in 2012 at Texas A&M, Mallard became an assistant coach at Texas Lutheran University, working with the men's and women's sprints, hurdles and relays. The men's team at Texas Lutheran also re-started their program that year.

Throughout his coaching career, Mallard has produced 33 NCAA All-Americans and 27 conference champions on the amateur level, while producing five USATF national champions. Internationally he has coached five world championship medalists, including two world champions and three 2012 Olympic medalist including one gold medalist.

Mallard has also produced two Jamaica, one Bermuda and one Bahama national champions, and was the head jumps coach for the Bermuda World Indoor Championship team in 2008.

As a professional athlete, Mallard competed from 1997 to 2005 and qualified for the 2000 and 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 200 meters. Mallard ranked among the top 20 in the world in the 200m in 1994, 2000 and 2004. In 2000 he placed fourth in the 200m dash at the USATF Indoor Championships.

Collegiately, Mallard competed for UTEP and LSU. In addition to five All-America honors, Mallard claimed five Western Athletic Conference titles at UTEP and two SEC titles at LSU. At UTEP, Mallard was the 1994 NCAA runner-up in the 400m. He was also a scoring member of two top-three team finishes at the NCAA Championships.

In 1992, Mallard earned gold and silver medals in the World Junior Championships. As a prep at North Garland High School, Mallard won a pair of State 5A titles in the 200m and 400m in 1992.

Following his retirement as a professional sprinter, Mallard worked with Carl Lewis Athletics, where he was involved with athlete recruitment as well as meet and sponsorship scheduling. Mallard assisted Lewis in developing and overseeing projects with the IAAF, USATF, and several community-based programs throughout the country.

Mallard is married to LaTarsha Stroman Mallard, a four-time track and field champion for LSU. The Mallards have three daughters – Keondra, Aliyah, and London.