Former Michigan Star Joins KU Football Staff
Feb. 7, 2006
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Mike Mallory has been named assistant football coach at the University of Kansas, Head Coach Mark Mangino announced Tuesday. Mallory joins the Kansas staff after serving five seasons as an assistant football coach at Illinois, including two years as the team’s defensive coordinator. He will coach the Jayhawk linebackers.
“Mike is a highly respected coach that brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our staff,” Mangino said. “He is a perfect fit for our young linebackers and defensive scheme. We are very pleased to have Mike join our coaching staff.”
Mallory started coaching the Illinois linebackers in 2003 after spending the previous two years with the safeties. The move was a natural one, affording him the opportunity to work with the position that earned him All-America honors as a player at Michigan. In 2003, he coached middle linebacker Matt Sinclair to honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors.
During his first two years at Illinois, Mallory oversaw the team’s safeties. In 2001, he worked with the senior safety duo of Bobby Jackson and Muhammad Abdullah, who both earned All-Big Ten honors.
Mallory, the son of former Indiana, Colorado, Northern Illinois and Miami (OH) head coach Bill Mallory, arrived at Illinois following one season as linebackers coach with the Maryland Terrapins. Prior to his stint at Maryland, Mallory was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Northern Illinois. In 1999, he helped guide the Huskies to a 5-6 record, their best since 1992, while posting the Mid-American Conference’s third-best pass efficiency defense.
In addition to his defensive coordinator experience at NIU, Mallory also held the same position at Rhode Island from 1993-95. With 20 years of experience in collegiate coaching, Mallory began his career as a graduate assistant at Indiana in 1986, assisting in the Hoosiers back-to-back bowl appearances. He then went on to Kent State where he was the linebackers and defensive line coach for three seasons. In 1991, Mallory became the linebackers coach at Eastern Illinois.
Mallory was a four-year letterwinner and two-time All-Big 10 selection for Michigan where he participated in four bowl games including the 1983 Rose Bowl and 1986 Fiesta Bowl. He was also a two-year captain, the 1984 team MVP and a 1985 Butkus Award finalist. He graduated from Michigan in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in sports administration and began pursuing graduate work in sports management at Indiana University in 1986-87.
Mallory is a graduate of Delkalb (Ill.) High School, where he was an all-state performer in 1980. Mallory and his wife, Kim, have a daughter, Kathryn, and a son, William Michael.
The Mallory File
2004-05 — University of Illinois (defensive coordinator/linebackers)
2001-03 — University of Illinois (secondary/safeties)
2000 — University of Maryland (inside linebackers)
1996-99 — Northern Illinois (defensive coordinator/linebackers)
1993-95 — Rhode Island (defensive coordinator/linebackers)
1991-92 — Eastern Illinois (linebackers)
1988-90 — Kent State (linebackers/defensive line)
1986-87 — Indiana University (graduate assistant)
— KU —
