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Veteran soccer coach Joe Mallia was named an assistant coach with the Tennessee program on Feb. 10.
"This is a terrific day for our program," said Brian Pensky, who was named head coach at UT on Jan. 26. "Joe brings a wealth of experience and accomplishments to Tennessee, most of which have come as a head coach. Joe is meticulous in all that he does as a coach, and he will certainly help Joe Kirt and I continue to build upon the outstanding tradition of this program. I am extremely fortunate to have two individuals on my staff with the recruiting and coaching abilities that these guys possess - and more importantly, the character and family values that each of these individuals possess.
Mallia joins Pensky and sixth-year assistant coach Joe Kirt as part of the Big Orange staff after serving a five-year stint as the head coach at Loyola Marymount in California where he guided the Lions to a 50-34-11 (.584) overall record. During his time at LMU, he helped his squad to four 10-win seasons, a pair of top three finishes in the West Coast Conference (WCC) and recorded more wins (43) over his first four campaigns in charge than any women's soccer coach in school annals.
"My wife Amy and I couldn't be more excited to join the Volunteer family," said Mallia. "On our visit to Knoxville we were struck by the facilities, the resources for the athletes, and of course the excellence of all of programs at Tennessee. However just as important for Amy and I is the family atmosphere that the current administration is cultivating. It will make for a tremendous experience for our family. Of course this opportunity would not be possible without Brian considering me for this position, and for that I am grateful. We have been friends and colleagues for quite some time now and I am really excited to work with him and Joe in continuing the program's greatness. This move comes with consequences, as I leave behind a team and staff of which I am very fond. I thank them for all of their support, and the great memories of LMU."
He also spent two seasons as assistant head coach at UCLA (2005-06), where he helped direct the Bruins to back-to-back appearances in the Women's College Cup, and as a head coach for seven years (1998-2004) at Loyola (Md.), guiding the Greyhounds to an 87-45-9 overall record and five NCAA Tournament berths. Pensky served as an assistant coach on Mallia's staff in 2001, a season that saw the Greyhounds win the MAAC Tournament Championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament.
"Joe and I worked together 10 years ago; and at the time, I thought we'd coach together forever, and our kids and families would grow up together. Then I received the call from Maryland, and eventually Joe headed off to UCLA. But thankfully we now have this wonderful opportunity in front of us; and along with Joe Kirt, we are going to do special things at the University of Tennessee. We couldn't be more thrilled."
During his initial campaign with the Lions in 2007, Mallia led LMU to a 12-6-1 overall record, the most wins ever for a first-year head coach, the most victories for the program since 2000 and the second-most triumphs in school history. The Lions were particularly stout at the home confines of Sullivan Field, posting a 10-1 record and setting a new school record for home wins in a season. In WCC play, the Lions posted a 4-3-0 league mark and finished dead-locked for third while having a record seven players named to the all-conference squads. On the way, the Lions set single-game records for most goals (nine vs. Lamar) and had a nine-match winning streak that was the longest in program history.
Loyola Marymount wrapped up its second year under Mallia's leadership with a 10-6-3 record, despite facing six squads that were ranked in the top 25. LMU also registered its second-highest outright WCC finish, placing third with a 5-2-0 mark, while losing only to nationally-ranked Portland and San Diego. In the process, Mallia achieved a personal milestone as LMU's 3-1 victory over UC Irvine on Sept. 5 gave him his 100th career coaching victory. His 22 wins in his first two years at LMU were the most-ever by a women's soccer head coach.
The 2009 campaign witnessed Loyola Marymount post its third-consecutive 10+-win season, marking just the second time that feat had been accomplished, following a previous four-season stretch from 1997-2000. The Lions were 11-6-2 overall and recorded the program's first win over a ranked opponent since 2006 by knocking off #26 Missouri, 1-0.
In 2010, LMU posted 10 wins for the fifth consecutive season and the fourth in a row under Mallia. During the campaign the squad picked up a 2-0 road win at #10 Santa Clara and suffered a narrow 1-0 home defeat to eventual national champion Notre Dame. Along the way, the Lions were powered by the offensive prowess of freshman Tawni Martino, who earned first team All-WCC and TopDrawerSoccer.com All-Rookie All-American accolades. In total, a school-record eight players were selected as All-WCC.
Prior to his time at Loyola Marymount, Mallia spent two years as the assistant coach at UCLA, helping the Bruins to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA College Cup. UCLA appeared in the national championship game in 2005, and advanced to the semifinals in 2006. In his two years with the Bruins, UCLA compiled a 43-6-2 record to go along with two Pac-10 championships. He also served as the recruiting coordinator for the Bruins, bringing in the #1 and #2 recruiting classes in the nation during his two-year stint.
Mallia also served as the head coach at Loyola College (Md.) for seven years from 1998-2004. He compiled an 87-45-9 record, leading the Greyhounds to five MAAC Tournament Championships and five trips to the NCAA Tournament. In addition, he led Loyola to five regular season conference championships and was named the MAAC Coach of the Year in 2000. During Mallia's final season in 2004, the Greyhounds outscored conference opponents by a 26-1 margin, breaking the school single-season record for most wins (16), highest winning percentage (.800), most points (160) and goals (59). Mallia joined the Loyola staff in 1994 and was an assistant coach for four years prior to becoming the head coach.
Mallia spent time as the Goalkeeper Coach for the U-21 Women's National Team from 2003 to 2006, helping the United States to the finals of the Nordic Cup Championship in 2006. In addition, he was a USYSA Region I staff coach for six years.
An accomplished goalkeeper, Mallia is a 1992 graduate of Old Dominion University. A member of the ODU Athletics Hall of Fame, Mallia was named the ODU Male Athlete of the Year in 1991 and is the school's leader in saves and shutouts. He was ranked among the top five in NCAA history in career goals against average and was an academic all-conference honoree. He also played with the US U-20 National Team over a three-year span from 1985-87.
Following his collegiate career, Mallia played professional soccer for six years as a member of the Baltimore Spirit, Dayton Dynamo and Harrisburg Heat, helping lead his teams to the league playoffs in five of his six seasons.
Joe and his wife, Amy, have three daughters, Kaitlyn, Reagan and Addison.
