WACO, Texas (AFCA/SMU) – SMU defensive coordinator
Van Malone was named the AFCA FBS Assistant Coach of the Year, the organization announced Wednesday.
The criteria for the award is not limited to on-field coaching ability or the success of the team and the players who these assistant coaches work with. Service to the community through charitable work and other volunteer activities, participation in AFCA activities and events, participation in other professional organizations and impact on student-athletes are all taken into account in the selection process.
Malone is in his 15th year as a collegiate coach and is a dedicated member of the AFCA, serving as an ex officio member of the Board of Trustees as chairman of the AFCA Minority Issues Committee. Malone has served on several other AFCA committees including the Program Committee, Meeting Room Committee and Assistant Coaches Committee. He volunteers his time with The Tempo Foundation, which was created by SMU Head Coach
Chad Morris and his wife Paula. The foundation puts on a ladies' clinic with all proceeds going directly to raising awareness for breast cancer and domestic abuse. As defensive coordinator at SMU, he has produced one of the best defenses in the country in creating turnovers.
Winners of the Assistant Coach of the Year Award will receive a plaque to commemorate their recognition. They will be honored at the AFCA Honors Luncheon, Monday, January 8, during the 2018 AFCA Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The AFCA was founded in 1922 and currently has more than 11,000 members around the world, ranging from the high school level to the professional ranks. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the coaching profession" and to "provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football and coaching."
