Van Malone | Kansas State Univeristy

Van Malone, a builder of culture who was a successful defensive back in both college and the NFL, enters his sixth season coaching the cornerbacks at Kansas State in 2024. He is also in his fifth season as the program’s assistant head coach and defensive passing game coordinator, titles he added prior to the 2020 campaign.

 

Malone – who has tutored six All-Big 12 cornerbacks in his five seasons on staff – has helped the Wildcat defense rank in the top four of the Big 12 in both total yards and points allowed in each of the last three seasons, K-State’s longest streak since doing so from 2000 through 2003. Over that time, K-State has allowed an average of 21.3 points per game to rank 20th nationally, 15th among Power 4 programs and second by returning Big 12 teams, the latter ranking just 0.1 points per game behind the leader.

 

Part of the success has been in forced turnovers – specifically interceptions – as K-State has ranked in the top 20 nationally in turnovers gained in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1999 and 2000, while the Wildcats’ 47 turnovers gained over the 2022 and 2023 campaigns are the most among returning Big 12 teams. Among those 47 turnovers gained, 29 are via interception and 11 are from Malone’s corners.

 

Thanks to Malone and his cornerbacks, K-State finished the 2023 season ranked in the top 30 nationally in eight categories, placing 11th in third-down defense (30.2%), 16th in fumble recovered (10), 18th in pass efficiency defense (118.63), 20th in turnovers gained (23), 25th in interceptions (13), 26th in scoring defense (21.0), 28th in first downs allowed (225) and 30th in red zone defense (89.2%). Although the Wildcats allowed points in nearly 90% of their opponents’ red zone attempts, only 39.4% of those resulted in touchdowns, which was the second-best mark in the nation.

 

Malone saw two of his pupils earn all-conference status, including Jacob Parrish, who tied for fourth in the Big 12 and 19th nationally in interceptions, while he ranked sixth in the conference in passes defended. Thanks to his on-field success, Malone was named the Big 12 Cornerbacks Coach of the Year by Our Coaching Network. Off the field, Malone has been heavily involved with Get In The Game/National Marrow Donor Program, and, in fact, was named to the organization's coaches' council in April.

 

Malone’s work in both on-field and off-field facets helped the Wildcats win the Big 12 title in 2022 as K-State ranked 10th nationally and second in the Big 12 in interceptions (16), its highest national ranking since 2003 and most interceptions since 2016. K-State also ranked 29th in the country and third in the Big 12 in scoring defense (21.9), marking the first time the Cats had consecutive seasons allowing less than 22.0 points per game since going 13-straight years from 1991 to 2003.

 

Under Malone’s guidance, cornerback Julius Brents ranked 22nd in the country and third in the Big 12 with four interceptions en route to All-Big 12 First Team accolades from the league’s coaches. Brents went on to be selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft – No. 44 overall – by the Indianapolis Colts, the highest-drafted Wildcat cornerback since Terence Newman went fifth overall in 2003. Opposite Brents, Ekow Boye-Doe was an honorable mention pick in 2022, and he went on to sign a free agent contract with Kansas City en route to being a member of the active roster during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl run.

 

On a personal level, the 2022 season also saw Malone honored on two occasions. Prior to the season, Malone was one of 12 coaches in the nation selected for the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches Coalition Academy. Additionally, Malone and K-State quarterback Will Howard earned the Be the Match Champions Award from the Maxwell Football Club after the season for spearheading the Wildcats’ effort for the Be the Match national bone marrow donor program.

 

The 2022 season came on the heels of Malone helping guide a 2021 defensive unit to impressive results as the Wildcats allowed just 21.0 points per game – their best mark since 2003 – to rank 23rd in the nation and fourth in the Big 12. The turnaround was notable considering the year prior, as the team was ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, K-State allowed 32.2 points per game. The 2021 K-State defense also ranked 29th nationally and third in the Big 12 by allowing 344.7 yards per game – its best showing since 2009 – while the Cats surrendered only 129.5 rushing yards per game, their best effort in four seasons.

 

Brents – who was in his first season at K-State after transferring in from Iowa – earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades from the league’s coaches as a 13-game starter. Boye-Doe also started every game and played at an All-Big 12 level as teams only targeted his receiver 40 times in 13 games.

 

In his first season in Manhattan, Malone helped lead a defense that ranked second in the Big 12 by allowing 21.4 points per game. Thanks in part to Malone’s work in the back end, Kansas State ranked second in the nation in third down defense at 28.0% – its best mark since at least 2003 – and second in the Big 12 in passing yards per game (202.9 yards per game) – its best finish in five years.

 

Malone tutored AJ Parker, who picked up All-Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades in 2019 despite missing the final five games of the year due to injury. At the time of his injury, Parker was tied for second in the Big 12 and 17th nationally in interceptions.

 

Malone began to take on more of a holistic approach for the team in 2020 as the assistant head coach while continuing to tutor the Wildcat cornerbacks. K-State corners combined for a pair of interception-return touchdowns in 2020 to tie for seventh in the nation. The first was by Parker, whose 37-yard return touchdown was vital in K-State’s 21-14 victory at TCU. Following the game, Parker was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week and the Jim Thorpe Award Player of the Week. The second pick-six was by Justin Gardner in the very next game against Kansas. Parker went on to be an undrafted free agent signee by the Detroit Lions – the team in which Malone spent his four-year NFL career with – and he went on to start seven games during his rookie campaign.

 

Gardner finished the year tied for fifth in the Big 12 in passes defended (9) and tied for seventh in interceptions (2). Malone also coached up Boye-Doe, who had seen limited time on defense during his career prior to starting this first-career game in K-State’s win at No. 3 Oklahoma. Boye-Doe started eight games and finished with seven passes defended to rank 11th in the conference.

 

Malone came to Manhattan after one year working as a defensive quality control coach at Mississippi State, helping the Bulldogs earn an 8-4 record and a No. 1 national ranking in scoring defense and a No. 3 mark in total defense.

 

Prior to Mississippi State, Malone was the defensive coordinator at SMU for three years, including the 2017 season when he was named the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) National FBS Assistant Coach of the Year. That year, he tutored three All-AAC performers, including Justin Lawler, who was the conference’s leader in sacks.

 

Malone coached Lawler to his first All-AAC honor in 2016, a year he was joined on the list by cornerback Horace Richardson and safety Darrion Millines. Malone’s 2016 defense was statistically one of the 10 most improved in college football. The Mustangs ranked seventh nationally in interceptions per game and forced 26 turnovers overall. In fact, two of Malone’s three defenses finished in the top 20 in defensive turnovers.

 

Malone went to SMU after a three-year stint at Oklahoma State where he coached the Cowboys’ safeties in 2012 before switching to cornerbacks for the next two seasons. Under Malone’s direct guidance, Justin Gilbert became Oklahoma State’s first finalist for the Thorpe Award in 2013, a year he ranked fifth nationally with six interceptions and had two pick-sixes.

 

With Malone on staff, the Cowboys ranked seventh nationally with 30 turnovers forced during the 2013 regular season, with 10 of those turnovers involving his cornerbacks. The Cowboys entered the Cotton Bowl ranked in the top 25 nationally in scoring defense (14th), turnovers gained (seventh), passes intercepted (fourth), red zone defense (fifth), pass efficiency defense (ninth), tackles for loss (15th), third-down conversion percentage defense (seventh) and rushing defense (22nd) just one year after ranking in the top 25 nationally in only one of those categories.

 

Malone’s move to Stillwater came after two years serving as secondary coach and recruiting coordinator at Tulsa. Forcing turnovers was a recurring theme during Malone’s time in Tulsa as, in 2010, the Golden Hurricane defense ranked first nationally in interceptions with 24, while Tulsa was the NCAA’s second-ranked team for turnover margin and third for turnovers gained. In 2011, Tulsa was 12th nationally with 18 passes intercepted and 25th with 28 turnovers gained.

 

Malone first coached in the Big 12 from 2006-09 when he worked at Texas A&M, with three of those four years resulting in bowl appearances.

 

Malone coached defensive backs at North Texas during the 2005 season and also assisted coaching the special teams. Before that, Malone served as the cornerback coach and worked with the special teams at Western Michigan in 2004.

 

In 2003, Malone served an NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship with the Detroit Lions and also worked with wide receivers at North Dakota State.

 

Malone played four seasons in the NFL after being drafted in the second round – the 57th selection overall – 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, while the Lions reached the playoffs in both of those seasons.

 

In 1996, Malone started every game, 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 also served as a marketing intern with Reebok International and 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 semifinalist 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. He also co-founded and headed up the “New Beginnings,” a non-profit charity organization in Houston.

 

Malone began coaching in the high school ranks at his alma mater, Houston Waltrip, from 1999 to 2002. He also coached at Conroe High School from 2002 to 2003. He earned the Houston High School Coaches Association “Assistant Coach of the Year” in 2000 and was also honored by the Houston Police Department with the “Lifesaver of the Year” Award.

 

Malone was a four-year letterman (1990-93) at Texas, earning All-America honors and All-SWC accolades as a defensive back his senior season. As a freshman in 1990, Malone earned Sporting News Freshman All-America honors as Texas won the Southwest Conference Championship.

 

A native of Houston who majored in education/sports management while at Texas, Malone completed his undergraduate work through the NFL’s degree completion program and earned his degree in social science from the University of Houston in 2002.

 

Malone and his wife, Nedra, have three sons, Van, Vaughn and Vincent.