HEAD COACH CURT MALLORY

After being named the 21st head coach in the history of Indiana State on Jan. 23, 2017, Mallory enters his seventh season at the helm of the program in 2023.

“Curt Mallory is a grinder who has coaching in his DNA,” Director of Athletics Sherard Clinkscales said. “His dedication to developing young men into leaders on the field and in life has been a core piece of his coaching philosophy throughout his career. He will raise the competitive bar and hold all accountable to that end. He is the right person ¬at the right time to lead this program into becoming a nationally recognized school. I am excited to welcome Curt, his wife, Lori, and his three children into the Sycamore family.”

Mallory, a 22-year veteran as an assistant coach in the college ranks, is part of one of the more prominent football families in the United States, as he is the son of Indiana University’s all-time winningest head coach Bill Mallory, who coached the Hoosiers from 1984-96. Bill Mallory was also the head coach at Miami of Ohio (1969-73), Colorado (1974-78) and Northern Illinois (1980-83) over an illustrious 27-year coaching career. Mallory also has two brothers in the coaching ranks: Doug, a defensive analyst for the Michigan Wolverines, and Mike, a special teams coach with the Denver Broncos.

“I’m extremely excited to be coming back home to the state of Indiana to become part of the Indiana State University family,” Mallory said. “I would like to thank President Dan Bradley, Sherard Clinkscales and the whole administration at Indiana State for this great honor. This University and the city of Terre Haute are very intriguing to me as a coach, as there is a lot of potential to build a strong football program here. Most of all, it feels amazing to be back in this great state again and work alongside all the wonderful people I know throughout the state.”

In Mallory’s first season in Terre Haute, the Sycamores finished 0-11 overall and 0-8 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with seven games coming against nationally ranked foes. He coached five All-MVFC players in 2017 including linebacker Jonas Griffith and tight end Jacquet McClendon who were tabbed to the Second Team while running back LeMonte Booker, punter Thomas Bouldin and linebacker Katrell Moss were named Honorable Mention.

Mallory and his staff then went on to mount the biggest turnaround in collegiate football in 2018 after leading the Sycamores to a 7-4 finish, a third-place finish in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and a No. 22 national ranking. The Sycamores closed out the season winning five-straight games, including three on the road to make push for the postseason. Entering the season, ISU was tabbed to finish last in the MVFC with just one voter not picking the Sycamores to finish last.

With the turnaround, Mallory became the just the second head coach in program history to earn MVFC Coach of the Year honors. He was named a finalist for the STATS FCS Eddie Robinson award, which honors the National Coach of the Year. Mallory was tabbed the FCS Coach of the Year by Phil Steele.

In year two Mallory coached 10 All-MVFC honorees including the League’s Newcomer of the Year in quarterback Ryan Boyle. Running back Ja'Quan Keys and linebacker Jonas Griffith were tabbed with First Team All-MVFC honors. Boyle, center Wyatt Wozniak, linebacker Katrell Moss, defensive back Rondell Green and place kicker Jerry Nunez earned Second Team accolades. The Sycamores also claimed three Honorable Mention selections in offensive linemen Isaiah Edwards and Tate Leavitt to go along with wide receiver Dante Hendrix.

Indiana State saw five players named to the MVFC Newcomer Team after the Sycamores put four on the offensive side of the ball led by quarterback Ryan Boyle. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Dante Hendrix also earned the honor while a pair of offensive linemen in Isaiah Edwards and Tate Leavitt rounded out the offensive honors for the Trees. First-year safety Denzel Bonner picked up the honor for the Sycamores on the defensive side of the ball.

Mallory's 2019 team finished 5-7 after several key pieces were lost due to injuries including Preseason MVFC Quarterback Ryan Boyle, who was injured in the fourth game of the season. Mallory led his team to a 3-5 in the MVFC including back-to-back wins over Youngstown State and Missouri State to end the season.

Wide receiver Dante Hendrix, linebacker Jonas Griffith and return specialist Dakota Caton earned First Team All-MVFC honors while fullback Dominique Dafney, center Wyatt Wozniak and place kicker Jerry Nunez earned Second Team accolades. The Sycamores also claimed three Honorable Mention selections as linebacker Clayton Glasco, defensive lineman Inoke Moala and safety Michael Thomas were recognized.

The Sycamores were back on the field in 2021 after enduring a COVID-shutdown for the entirety of the 2020 season. Indiana State topped Eastern Illinois in their first game back on the field and followed up with wins at Eastern Kentucky, at home against both Western Illinois and Youngstown State, before wrapping up the year with a road win at Illinois State. ISU went 5-6 in its first campaign back in action with a 3-5 mark in MVFC play.

Accolades continues to come in for the Sycamores as defensive end Inoke Moala recorded First Team All-Conference honors after sitting among the MVFC leaders in sacks and tackles for loss. Dante Hendrix (WR), JJ Henderson (DB), and Wyatt Harwood (LS) were all honored on the Honorable Mention squad.

The Sycamores battled through one of the nation’s toughest schedules in 2022 with four of the preseason top-six ranked teams in the country on the slate this past season. ISU had plenty of bright spots throughout the year including the MVC Freshman of the Year (Cade Chambers), while six Sycamores earned All-Conference accolades. ISU was further honored by Rylan Cole earning Sophomore All-American status by HERO Sports.

Academically, the program continues to thrive under Mallory with 31 members of the team earning MVFC Academic honors in 2021. Two Sycamores in Daijon Collins and Jose Vazquez IV earned the President’s Council Academic award, which is the highest honor awarded by the MVFC.

Prior to coming to Indiana State, Mallory was the pass coordinator and secondary coach under former North Dakota State head coach Craig Bohl at the University of Wyoming in 2015 and 2016. There, Mallory mentored 2016 Thorpe Award semifinalist Andrew Wingard, who was a First-Team All-Conference honoree as a sophomore. The previous year in 2015, Mallory helped Wingard and Marcus Epps to nods as Honorable Mention All-Americans.

Mallory spent the previous four seasons at his alma mater, the University of Michigan, as a secondary coach under Brady Hoke. There, he worked with several superb defenses, including the seventh best in the FBS his final year in 2014 that only allowed 311.3 YPG. That same year, Michigan ranked 15th in rushing defense (117.7 YPG), tied for 19th in passing defense (193.7 YPG) and 27th in scoring defense (22.4 PPG).

The Wolverine secondary also finished top-15 in the nation in pass defense in both 2011 and 2012. The 2011 defense was an especially impressive feat that first season, as they jumped from 107th in scoring defense in 2010 to sixth nationally in 2011.

In Ann Arbor, Mallory had the opportunity to coach current Jacksonville Jaguars safety Jarrod Wilson, as well as help recruit and coach 2016 Heisman Trophy finalist and projected top 2017 NFL Draft pick Jabrill Peppers during his freshman season in 2014.

Mallory was the defensive coordinator at Akron for the 2010 season, and before that he spent five successful seasons at the University of Illinois from 2005-09 under head coach Ron Zook (now the special teams coordinator of the Green Bay Packers). Mallory’s first two seasons in 2005 and 2006 were spent as the secondary coach, and his final three years he was promoted to co-defensive coordinator.

At Illinois, Mallory was instrumental in one of the best teams in Illini history in the 2007 Rose Bowl team. That year, Mallory’s Illini defense held opponents to under 20 points per game en route to a 9-4 finish. Illinois also ranked second in the Big Ten in passing defense (182.2 YPG) in 2006 and led the Big Ten in sacks and tackles for loss in 2008. Mallory’s 2006 secondary only allowed 11 passing touchdowns and 6.5 yards per pass attempt all season.

At Illinois, Mallory’s prized pupil was All-American Vontae Davis, who was a two-time Thorpe Award semifinalist and a 2009 First-Round NFL Draft Pick of the Miami Dolphins. Davis has been a two-time Pro Bowl selection during his NFL career and has been a member of the Indianapolis Colts since 2012.

Other notable pupils at Illinois include current Detroit Lions safety Tavon Wilson, a 2012 Second Round pick of the New England Patriots and a member of New England’s Super Bowl XLIX champion team, and Jeremy “J” Leman, a 2007 All-American linebacker for the Illini Rose Bowl team and current Big Ten Network color analyst.

Mallory spent the previous three seasons at Indiana as a secondary coach from 2002-04, which was preceded by one year as the secondary coach at Central Michigan in 2001 and six seasons at Ball State from 1995-2000 in charge of both the linebackers and secondary. Mallory was on staff for Ball State’s 1996 team that went to the Las Vegas Bowl.

His coaching career began as a student assistant at Michigan in 1992, followed by two years as a graduate assistant under his father at Indiana in 1993-94.

Mallory was a four-year player at the University of Michigan from 1988-91 under legendary head coach Bo Schembechler his first two seasons, followed by Gary Moeller his last two. Mallory was on four Wolverine teams that won a Big Ten title, including three teams that went to a Rose Bowl. His freshman season in 1988 he was on a Rose Bowl champion team that finished the season ranked No. 4 nationally after defeating USC. Mallory capped off his Wolverine career with an interception in Michigan’s 35-3 win over Ole Miss in the 1991 Gator Bowl. Longtime Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, who led the Wolverines to a national title in 1997, was Mallory’s defensive coordinator during his playing career.

Mallory earned his bachelor’s in sport management and communication from the University of Michigan in 1992, and he finished his master’s in outdoor recreation at Indiana University in 1999. Mallory and his wife, Lori, have three children: sons James and Sam, and a daughter, Margo.