Chris Malone completed his second season as offensive line coach at Old Dominion in 2017.
Malone helped guide junior center Nick Clarke and redshirt freshman left tackle Isaac Weaver to honorable mention Conference USA honors, while Weaver also was named to the all-freshman team.
The offensive line ranked fourth in Conference USA in sacks allowed.
In his first season, Malone helped an ODU offensive line that featured one senior starter, as ODU led Conference USA in rushing with 2,559 yards. The Monarchs finished second in Conference USA in fewest sacks allowed.
Senior offensive lineman Troy Butler earned second-team All-Conference USA honors, while Devin Hannan was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team.
“Coach Malone is known for having outstanding offensive Line play wherever he has coached. His players are tough, physical, and play with technique. I coached against him when he was at UMass and JMU and always respected the way he coached,” Wilder said. He is also an outstanding recruiter that has a great reputation with the Virginia high school coaches. It is also worth noting he had an outstanding career as an offensive lineman at Virginia Tech starting 47 consecutive games on some very good teams. I know our players will be excited to work with Coach Malone.”
Malone spent the last two seasons at Tennessee-Chattanooga, helping the Mocs to the FCS playoffs both seasons. In 2015, Malone coached offensive lineman Corey Levin to FCS All-American honors and his second-straight Jacob’s Blocking Award given to the top lineman in the Southern Conference. The Mocs rushed for more than 3,000 yards and had two 1,000 yard rushers. UTC went 9-4 and advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs before losing to national runner-up, Jacksonville State.
Malone coached at Virginia State in 2013, helping the Trojans to a 9-1 record and a CIAA title.
Prior to that, he worked with the offensive line and was the run game coordinator at James Madison for seven seasons. At JMU, Malone coached Dorian Brooks, a 2009 Third-Team All-America and a free agent signee of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2008, he directed an offensive front that included Rimington Award (nation’s top center) winner Scott Lemn and other all-league honorees Brooks, Terrence Apted and Theo Sherman. The Dukes averaged 38.1 points and 282.8 rushing yards per game.
In 2007, Malone coached an offensive front that helped JMU average 33.3 points, 410.0 yards of total offense and 265.1 yards per game rushing. JMU led the CAA in rushing and was seventh nationally, while allowing only six sacks, the fewest in the nation.
Prior to James Madison, Malone coached the offensive line and tight ends at VMI (2005) and the offensive line (2001-04) at UMass. He was a graduate assistant offensive line coach at Virginia Tech from 1999-2000, and was offensive and defensive line coach at Fork Union Military Academy in 1998.
Malone was a four-year starter as an offensive guard at Virginia Tech, making 47 consecutive starts during his career and earning All-Big East Conference honors in 1995.
The Malone File:
Hometown: Emporia, Va.
High School: Brunswick Academy/Fork Union Academy
College: Virginia Tech '96
Recruiting Areas:
Primary: VA (Chesapeake, Richmond, 64 to Charlottesville) NE PA (Scranton Wilkes-Barre)
Coaching History:
2016-Present: Old Dominion - Offensive Line
2014-15: Chattanooga - Run Game Coord./Offensive Line
2013: Virginia State - Run Game Coord./Offensive Line
2006-12: James Madison - Run Game Coord./Offensive Line
2004-06: VMI - Offensive Line/Tight Ends
2003-04: UMass - Offensive Line
2001-02: UMass - Tight Ends
1999-01: Virginia Tech - GA/Offensive Line
All-Conference Monarchs Under Coach Malone:
2017: Nick Clarke - C-USA HM
2017: Isaac Weaver - C-USA HM
2016: Troy Butler - Second-Team All-Conference USA