Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
Director of Athletics Brian Teter formally introduced Texas native
Scott Malone as the new head coach of the Islander baseball program
at a news conference on Monday morning.
"It is an honor for me to be named the
head baseball coach at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi," said Malone,
who is the third head coach in school history. "I would like to
thank Brian Teter and Dr. Flavius Killebrew for giving me this
opportunity. I have told them we will be successful on the field,
our players will work hard in the classroom, and this program will
represent our university with class and great character in the
community."
Having grown up and played baseball in
the state of Texas, combined with his success as a player and
coach, the selection of Malone as the next coach of the Islanders
was an easy one for Teter.
"Scott Malone is a winner and I am
excited that he is the next head coach to lead Islander baseball to
new heights, both as a program and as a competitor in the Southland
Conference," said Teter. "Scott has tremendous energy and contacts
in the state of Texas. He was a great player and now as an up and
coming coach, has a vision for what he wants and expects for this
program. I believe he is a tremendous fit for Texas A&M-Corpus
Christi and this community."
Malone arrives on the Island after
spending the past three seasons as an assistant coach at UNLV. In
his three seasons at UNLV, he oversaw all aspects of the Rebels
recruiting efforts and served as the team's hitting instructor on
the field. In 2005, UNLV won the Mountain West Conference regular
season and tournament titles, advancing to the NCAA Regional.
Prior to joining the Rebels, Malone
served as an assistant coach at two Southland Conference schools
serving as the hitting coach at each stop. He was an assistant at
Texas-Arlington during the 2003 and 2004 seasons after spending the
two previous seasons at Texas-San Antonio.
In four seasons in the Southland,
Malone's hitters led the league in batting three times – twice
at UTA and once at UTSA. He coached former Maverick and current
Houston Astros rookie standout Hunter Pence and UTSA's Mark
Schramek. Both were first round picks in the Major League Amateur
draft.
Malone began his coaching career as a
student assistant at McMurry University, where he graduated from in
1998 with a Bachelors of Science degree in exercise and sports
science. He then served as a volunteer assistant at TCU – his
alma mater – and the University of Kentucky.
Before embarking on his coaching
career, Malone had an impressive career as a first baseman at TCU.
As a collegiate player with the Horned Frogs, the new Islander
mentor was named the Southwest Conference Player of the Year in
back-to-back seasons and was invited to the 1992 Olympic Trials.
Malone was a Mizuno All-America honoree in 1992.
His success on the collegiate level led
to Malone being selected in the ninth round of the 1992 MLB draft
by the Texas Rangers. He spent five years in the Rangers farm
system reaching as high as Double A before spending one year with
Abilene, where he won a Texas-Louisiana League title with the
Prairie Dogs.
"My goal is to make this program as
successful as it can possibly be," said Malone. "This is a dream
job for me and I am fully committed to seeing Islander Baseball
rise to the next level."
Malone, and his wife, Lee, a former
administrator at A&M-Corpus Christi, were married this past
January.
