Ikaika Malloe leaving for Yale
By Dave Reardon
Three sources close to the situation have told me Hawaii defensive tackles and special teams coach Ikaika Malloe is leaving UH to be an assistant coach at Yale. One of them said Malloe has informed head coach Greg McMackin. Malloe has not returned recent phone calls from the Star-Bulletin. Malloe’s connection is new Yale head coach Tom Williams, who was an assistant at Washington, where Malloe was a star player. Williams was also an assistant at UH at one time. With Alex Gerke’s departure last month for Utah State, that leaves two openings on the Warriors staff. UPDATE: I spoke with Malloe late this afternoon and he confirmed he is leaving, middle of next month. He said it was a very difficult decision, especially since he and his wife (a local girl) finally got to return to Hawaii with their kids and are now leaving after just one year. But it’s a defensive coordinator’s position for a head coach to whom he is very close. His goal is to be a head coach some day, and he feels he must take this opportunity. Jason Kaneshiro will have details and quotes from Malloe and Greg McMackin in his story in the Wednesday SB.
January 20th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
perhaps a blessing in disguise…you’ll never know.
January 20th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Easily replaced, Given how our special teams played. I heard he wasn’t much at recruiting. I guess at Yale, recruiting isn’t that important. If he wanted to make coaching his career, WHY YALE. why would he want to to follow that piece of “S” who insulted UH, when he left Von Crapen.
January 20th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Although Mcmackin was able to gather a staff late last year, this will be a great time to clean house and keep people who can produce and want to be here. Special teams was a sore spot this year with the o-line leading that pack. Good luck at Yale and I hope that coach Mac brings in someone who will take the time and energy needed to make the special teams special this coming year.
January 20th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
I think it is a good move for him. I’m sure he saw some “writing on the wall” and decided to get out of dodge with his dignity. The special teams were pretty poor last year. I cannot see it any other way because he “came home” to coach at UH so why leave for Yale after one year. Good luck to him and his buddy he is going to reunite with. Now lets go out and fill the two open spots with some experienced coaches!
January 20th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
I think we need to congratulate Brian Smith on the outstanding job hes done here at UH and promote him to a Graduate Assistant.
January 20th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Why do you call the coach to come home, and then leave? What the hell as that?
January 20th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
When is Ron Lee gonna make 3 spots open on the coaching roster?
January 20th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
haha, DR’s always breaking the news and the other rag makes pathetic attempts to catch up. Good job DR.
January 20th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Andrew – at first I jumped out of my seat and yelled “this guy is crazy!” Then I read it closer. . . nice one. . . hahahaha.
I agree with the sentiment that we need to bring in some real experience to replace Gerke and Malloe. There has got to be an old schooler out there somewhere that wants to come out of retirement to school some of the youth we have on the staff.
Yale has a football team? Do they have conferences on the field before each play to discuss the probability of what will happen and the legality of the results?
January 21st, 2009 at 6:02 am
Ok…so we have two openings for coaches now and no news of any hires. Hmmm I guess I’ll take Malloe’s word for it and believe he wants to go to chase his own ambitions to be HC someday. Can’t fault the man for trying to do better for him and his family…I just wish he would have stay at least 3 yrs and make a real go of making Uh better before checking out. If your good at what you do…more opportunities will come. Like if UH got much better…he would have gotten more opportunities and he and his family would have enjoyed home longer and spend quality time with family who may not always be there in the future.
I’ll wait and see what Mac does with these two opportunities before I say anything. If he lands two better coaches then great for us but if not…then bad news and dark clouds over Manoa. I was looking fwd to coaches coming together much executing much better next season combined with one more year working together to get better results.
Well instead we lost two coaches and a bunch of players due to graduation so lets see what Mac does now. Mac, Lee Brothers, Miano, Lumpkin and other coaches need to finish extremely strong on recruiting and hiring two coaches followed by a great spring camp to keep interest during extremely difficult economic times and a tough past season. Expect many schools to canex programs to keep their heads above water….need excited/ committed fans to sustain or better yet grow what we have today in UH FB.
January 22nd, 2009 at 7:47 am
I tend to look at life from a positive perspective so I see this move as a win-win. Malloe gets to go where he wants to go and we get to see him GO. The special teams were terrible this year and as I have been spouting out all year the coaches have got to GO. Some may say, “Now that’s not a positive attitude” to which my reply is, “Of course it is, I’m positively sure that our coaches have to GO! (Man, it’s great talking football after your hiatus, Dave).
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:17 pm
good luck coach ikaika malloe thank you for this past season the d tackles and the special team learned alot this pass season from you to bad you leave us so soon thats the only thing that i was mad about but you have to do what his good for you and your family . hope coach mac gives chad kauhaahaa the d line job for the warriors but i heard he got a job coaching the d lineman at utah state football where coach gerke went to.i know that chad kauhaahaa wanted to come home he is from maui coach mac go get him he will be a good coach for the warriors.
January 23rd, 2009 at 9:47 pm
If Malloe is going to be the DC at Yale what happens to the current DC? I think he is still on the staff. Wasn’t he the DC for the last 12 years? I am wondering how Malloe will fit in there.
January 24th, 2009 at 11:13 am
good luck to IM. No substitute for experience – coach Mac, at Utah in the early 1990’s your defensive line coach was Sam Papalii, he coached all four down linemen and helped Utah’s previously porous defense move up the national defensive rankings from 116 pos. up to the mid 30’s in total defense, in that period Papalii coached 4 all-WAC defensive linemen, Luther Elliss(NFL 9 yrs), Jimmy Bellamy, Dave Chaytors(CFL 6 yrs) and Keith Embry (NFL 5 yrs), in 1991 the Utes led the WAC in sacks, Papalii also coached first team all-Mountain West defensive end, Talance Sawyer, UNLV (NFL, 5 years). Papalii, established recruiting success at each of Universities he has coached at, Hawaii (Amosa Amosa, Nick Maafala, Mark Nua, Jr. Lopati) Arizona (George Malauulu, Errol Sapp, Pulu Poumele) Utah ( Roy Maafala, Chad Kauha’aha’a, Nate Kia), Iowa State (Patrick Augafa, Aaron Mauga), and UNLV ( Lui Fuga, La’anui Correa). Papalii has been a head high school coach on the big island 2001 to 2005 at Kealakehe H.S. winning the schools first ever championships in 04 and 05, the school has won the past 3 in a row, foundation set by Papalii. Papalii’s experience is evident and broad, UH and coach Mac would be wise to seriously consider this Hawaii resident.
January 24th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Congratulations! It’s always great to see and hear our local talent and especially one from Waimanalo to have the opportunity to excel upward and towards your personal goal. I’m sure the d-line guys at UH appreciated your expertise, training techniques and coaching skills. As others referenced in their comments concerning “wondering” how and alot of other things, you’ve made your contributions here and others can benefit from you as well, even if its on the East Coast. Hawaii and Waimanalo will always be here as your home so, best of luck and holomua!