Mike Mallory

Mike Mallory is a former American football linebacker who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1982 to 1985. He was the Most Valuable Player for the 1984 Wolverines team and was a finalist for the Butkus Award in 1985. Since 1986, he has been a college football coach, including two years as the defensive coordinator at the University of Illinois.

Playing career
Mallory was an all-state football player at Illinois' DeKalb High School in 1980.

Mallory played for the Michigan Wolverines from 1982 to 1985. He was voted the Most Valuable Player of the 1984 team and was named a team co-captain and an All-Big Ten Conference player in 1984 and 1985. He was one of five finalists for the Butkus Award in its inaugural year in 1985, losing out to Brian Bosworth; the Butkus Award has been given annually since 1985 to the top linebacker in college football. As a senior in 1985, Mallory helped lead the Wolverines to a 10–1–1 record and a #2 ranking in the final AP Poll after beating Nebraska, 27–23, in the Fiesta Bowl. At the end of the 1985 season, he was selected as an All-Big Ten linebacker.

The 1985 Wolverines defense that included Mallory, Mike Hammerstein, Brad Cochran, Mark Messner, Eric Kattus, Garland Rivers and Andy Moeller, gave up only 75 points in 11 regular season games, an average of less than seven points per game. When Mallory graduated, his 211 career tackles ranked third in school history behind Ron Simpkins and Mike Boren. He now ranks seventh in school history. Mallory graduated from Michigan in 1985 with a bachelor's degree in sports administration.

Coaching career
Mallory has been involved in college coaching since 1986.


 * Indiana in 1986–1987 as a graduate assistant
 * Kent State as a linebackers and defensive line coach from 1988–1990
 * Eastern Illinois as a linebackers coach from 1991–1992
 * The University of Rhode Island as a defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 1993–1995
 * Northern Illinois as a defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 1996–1999
 * The University of Maryland as an inside linebackers coach in 2000
 * The University of Illinois as a secondary and safeties coach from 2001–2003 and as defensive coordinator from 2004–2005
 * University of Kansas as linebackers coach in 2006
 * The University of Louisville as a secondary coach in 2007
 * New Orleans Saints as assistant special teams coach from 2008–2012
 * Jacksonville Jaguars as special teams coordinator beginning in 2013.

Family
Mallory is the son of Bill Mallory, who has served as the head football coach at Miami University, the University of Colorado at Boulder, Northern Illinois University, and Indiana University. When Ron Turner and his staff at Illinois were fired at the end of the 2004 season, Mike was rehired by Ron Zook as defensive coordinator. Zook played for the elder Mallory at Miami University in the 1970s. Curt Mallory, Mike's younger brother, was also hired by Zook, who said, "I am thrilled to have on our staff two sons of the man I played for and who led me into this profession." Curt is currently the defensive backs coach for the University of Michigan football team. Another brother, Doug, was announced hired in December 2010 as the co-defensive coordinator for the Indiana Hoosiers.

Mike Mallory and his wife, Kim, have a daughter, Kathryn, and a son, William Michael.