Zach Mallard
Zach Mallard

Bio

Zach Mallard joined the Huntingdon coaching staff in March 2019 as the Safeties Coach/Defensive Intern before being promoted prior to the 2019 season to Defensive Backs Coach.

During his first season, the secondary accounted for six interceptions and 28 passes broken up as the Hawks won the USA South Athletic Conference championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. The unit helped hold three opponents to zero touchdown passes and six opponents to less than 200 yards passing. In 2019 Mallard also had a Defensive Back, Fred Flavors, lead the conference in blocked kicks with 3. During 2019 Mallard also had two players selected for Player of the Week Performances by the USA South. Peyton Defleron was selected Defensive Player of the Week after a big performance against Averett on October 26, 2019 and Fred Flavors was selected Special Teams Player of the Week after blocking a punt against Methodist on October 5, 2019.

Since he has joined Huntingdon Coach Mallard has been a part of 3 consecutive conference championships in 2019, Spring 2021, and Fall 2021. In Spring 2021 the secondary was led by First-Team All-West Division Cornerback Fred Flavors Huntingdon’s first All-Conference Defensive Back since 2018 and first First-Team selection since 2017.

Flavors again returned to lead the secondary in the Fall of 2021 as the #1 Corner and regularly drawing the assignment of the opponent’s top player and shutting them down. Flavors had a huge season finishing #1 in the NCAA with 19 Passes Broken up, #2 in Passes Defended/Game with 1.72, and tied for #2 in blocked kicks with 5. Flavors’ big season racked him up a bunch of post-season awards winning First Team USA South All-Conference Cornerback, D3Football First Team All-Region 3 Cornerback, D3Football First Team All-Region 3 Special Teamer, D3Football First Team All-American Special Teamer, and D3Football Second Team All-American Cornerback. 

Fall of 2021 also saw Lexie Shaw and Miller Park both take big steps up in their roles in the secondary taking over the starting jobs and finishing the season being named Second Team USA South All-Conference Safeties. Lexie finished the season with 1 Interception and 13 Passes Broken Up which was good for #2 in the Conference behind Fred. Park finished the season with 35 tackles and led the team with 3 Interceptions. 2021 was the first time since 2017, and only the third time in program history that Huntingdon had 3 Defensive Backs selected to the All-Conference team in the same season. All three were critical parts of the Hawks Defense and helping lead us to our 6th Conference Title in 7 seasons.  

Since taking over the secondary in the Spring of 2019 Coach Mallard has helped produce 9 Academic All Conference selections, 4 All-Conference Selections, 2 All-Region Selections, and 2 All-American selections at Huntingdon. 

In the summer of 2022 Coach Mallard was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers to participate in the NFL Bill Walsh Minority Fellowship during training camp. During this internship Coach Mallard got the opportunity to spend training camp with the Chargers and work closely with their defensive coaches including current Chargers Defensive Back’s Coach Derrick Ansley who began his coaching career at Huntingdon College.

Prior to coming to Huntingdon Coach Mallard started his career at USA South opponent Greensboro College where he spent two seasons. In his first season Mallard coached the cornerbacks and during the following spring transitioned to coaching the entire secondary including both the corners and the safeties. In 2018 Mallard moved his star corner Kasseem Bagley to safety and helped coach him to a breakout season culminating in a First Team USA South All-Conference Selection at Safety. Bagley finished the season #1 in the Conference and top 5 in the NCAA in Solo Tackles with 83. He also finished #1 in Total Tackles (100), T-#1 in Interceptions (4), to go along with 8 Tackles for loss, and 4 Passes Broke up. Bagley’s best game came during the last game of the season where he intercepted 2 passes, returning one for a touchdown, to go along with 10 total tackles and a tackle for loss. 

Prior to his coaching career, Mallard played two seasons at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York before finishing his degree and career at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York. In 2014, Mallard was a part of a Hudson Valley team that went 2-8 the season prior turning around and winning 8 straight to start the 2014 season and finishing 8-2 with a bid to the NJCAA Salt City Bowl against Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, KS. At St. John Fisher Mallard was a part of a team that won a Co-Conference Championship in 2015 and lost in the Conference Championship game in 2016 on the last day of the regular season.

Mallard earned his Associate’s Degree in Business Administration from Hudson Valley, and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Management at St. John Fisher College.