Malone eliminates football team

Nine local players, ex-YSU coach affected

Staff report

Nine Mahoning Valley athletes and a local coach are without a football home after Malone University announced Friday that it is eliminating its football program.

The move was done to eliminate a $2.5 million structural deficit over the last two years. Malone football players and coaches were informed of this decision in a meeting with Malone President David King and Athletic Director Charlie Grimes. The decision will eliminate expenses of approximately $1 million annually.

The area players affected are Ursuline’s Dawalyn Washington and Dakota Hobbs, LaBrae’s Christian Mathews and Rhen McConaughey, Western Reserve’s Gregary Brunner, Hubbard’s Cam Ingram, West Branch’s Jeremy Gorby, Liberty’s Aaron Duncan and Nick Bush of Austintown Fitch.

Malone head coach Fred Thomas is out of work after three seasons in charge. The Youngstown State graduate was a former defensive coordinator with the Penguins and a former head coach at Girard. He told The Canton Repository he’s not thinking about what’s next.

“I’ll think about that after everyone else is taken care of,” Thomas said. “I’m in a little different situation than most of these other guys.

“I did this mostly for fun and the love of coaching.”

Thomas served as a defensive line coach at YSU from 1978 to 1983 and as defensive coordinator from 1984 to 1986. Thomas helped guide the Penguins to an NCAA Division II national runner-up finish in 1979. He left YSU to become the head coach at Girard. He was named Mahoning County Coach of the Year in 1987 during his three-year stint before leaving to become the head coach at Alliance.

After spending some time as Canton GlenOak’s head football coach, Thomas went to Walsh, where he spent 16 seasons as defensive coordinator before coming to Malone.

Thomas was 2-8 in his final season in charge. He was 4-25 during his tenure.

The Pioneers’ final game was a 27-22 home loss to Walsh. The game-winning touchdown was a 17-yard Nick Gassman pass to Deondre Cook with 50 seconds left.

Malone was 101-164-2 after starting its football program in 1993. The team’s most recent winning season was in 2008, when the Pioneers went 6-4.

Malone, a Division II athletic program, will honor its scholarship commitments to players and need-based financial aid to walk-ons. The school’s Board of Trustees decided to eliminate the program on Wednesday during a meeting and Thomas was informed Friday morning.

“I’ve got 75 kids looking for a home, and I’ve got coaches looking for jobs,” Thomas said.

None of Malone’s other sports teams were affected and they are expected to continue to exist in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

“Our focus right now is helping our players and coaches understand how they are loved by the Malone community and that we want to be of assistance to them in any way they may need,” Grimes said in the announcement. “We very much want them to continue as students here at Malone.”