ADRIAN, Mich. – Siena Heights men's lacrosse head coach Ed Maloney announced that he will officially retire on June 30, 2021.
"Ed was instrumental in bringing the Siena Heights men's lacrosse to national prominence in such a short time," said Saints athletic director Sue Syljebeck. "The culture and character of the men's lacrosse program is a direct reflection of the quality person leading the way. Ed has made every place he has been better; Siena Heights University is privileged to be one of those places."
Siena Heights was the final stop of Coach Maloney's career. He joined the Siena Heights coaching staff after over four decades of coaching football and lacrosse at the high school level.
"When some people reach an age to retire, Ed Maloney was just getting started at Siena Heights," said SHU Dean of Students Michael Orlando. "While he is retiring as our Head Lacrosse coach, his impact of holistically developing student-athletes will continue for generations. The immediate timing of his retirement and Ed entering our Siena Heights' Hall of Fame is a testament to the caliber of his influential, distinguished leadership."
Coach Maloney started the Saint men's lacrosse program from scratch in 2010. During that time, Maloney built a culture that consisted of consistency and winning.
"I could immediately see the kind of coaching Ed was going to be to our students on and off the field," continued Michael Orlando. "He leaves us with a well-established and recognized program with many outstanding alumni who are now coaches themselves. He has consistently developed successful close-knit, value-oriented teams over the years."
The Saints have four CCLA tournament appearances (2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016), as well as two CCLA Division Championships in 2015 and 2016. The team also made appearances in the MCLA National Tournament in 2015 and 2016. Once the team joined the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC), they appeared in four of the first six WHAC Tournaments (2014, 2016, 2018, and 2019). The team also qualified for the NAIA National Tournament in 2016 and 2018.
Coach Maloney was named coach of the year in the CCLA, MCLA, and the WHAC all in 2015. During his tenure, he has coached five MCLA All-Americans, WHAC defensive player of the year (Ryan Mailloux, 2013), 14 All-CCLA players, 21 All-WHAC honorees, and 27 WHAC All-Academic players.
"My time at SHU turned out to be my dream job," said Ed Maloney. "It's about relationships with the entire coaching staff, the administration, the families, and the student-athletes. The wins-losses will fade, but the relationships will remain. The support for the lacrosse program was incredible, particularly from Fred and Sue, the athletic administrators. It was an honor and privilege to serve as head coach of the men's lacrosse program at SHU."
Maloney finishes his career with a record of 87-51 overall and a 29-17 mark in conference play between the CCLA and the WHAC. But more important than the wins and losses is the legacy of Ed Maloney.
"The Siena Heights Lacrosse program and the University will forever be known as 'Maloney's Saints,'" said SHU men's lacrosse interim head coach Spencer Macek. "He built this program from the ground up and the legacy this program continues to build will always be because of him."
Coach Maloney has made an immeasurable impact on the lives of countless young students throughout his coaching career. He is a well-respected coach, who has the admiration of his opponents, his peers, and, most importantly, of his student-athletes.
"Ed was more than a coach during his time here at Siena," continued Macek. "He was a leader, a mentor, a morale booster, a competitor, and most importantly a friend. He helped make me into the man I am today. Anyone Ed has ever been around has said the same thing, 'That man is a legend.' I could not be more honored and blessed to have known Ed Maloney, let alone learn from him for 10 years, as a player and as his assistant coach."
Maloney began his coaching career as a high school football coach and coached the sport for 43 years. He began his lacrosse coaching career in 1991 and has served as both a high school and college lacrosse coach.
Throughout his career, Coach Maloney started four different high school programs from scratch. In 1991, he started his first lacrosse program at Bishop Foley High School in Madison Heights; in 1993, with Notre Dame High School in Harper Woods; in 1995 with Notre Dame Prep High School in Pontiac; and, finally, in 2003 with Father Gabriel Richard High School in Ann Arbor.
Maloney's experiences don't simply stay on the field, as he has been an athletic director at five schools: St. Joan of Arc, Croswell-Lexington, Riverview Gabriel Richard, Notre Dame Prep, and Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard.
He was named 2008 Lacrosse Coach of the Year by the Michigan High School Coaches Association and has been inducted into three different Hall of Fames: The Detroit Catholic League Hall of Fame (1998), The Michigan High School Lacrosse Coaches Hall of Fame (2010), and The Michigan High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame (2010). This October, Maloney will be inducted into his fourth hall of fame: the Siena Heights University Athletics Hall of Fame (Class of 2021).
