Mallory Cup Introduced Into Northern Illinois Football Series
7/16/2018 10:26:00 AM | Football
"Miami is proud to partner with Northern Illinois University in the creation of the Mallory Cup," said Miami Athletics Director David Sayler. "It is a fitting tribute to a wonderful man and coach that has meant so much too so many. Although Miami and NIU will not play every year in football, it is good to know that when we do, Bill Mallory will be honored and remembered for the tremendous legacy he has left here in Oxford and in DeKalb."
Mallory was 64-31 all-time as a head coach in the Mid-American Conference. His 64 wins and .674 win percentage both rank eighth in conference history.
Mallory, who passed away on May 25, 2018, was 39-12 in five years (1969-73) as Miami's head coach, including a MAC Championship season in 1973 in which Miami went 11-0, including a Tangerine Bowl victory over Florida. After a stint at Colorado, Mallory coached Northern Illinois from 1980-83, compiling a 25-19 record in DeKalb. NIU won its first conference championship in 1983 under the guidance of coach Mallory. Mallory is believed to be the only football coach in history to win a championship with two different MAC schools. He also won MAC Coach of the Year in 1973 with Miami and 1983 with NIU.
"Bill Mallory was a special coach and a great man who left a lasting legacy in the Mid-American Conference and certainly at NIU and Miami," said NIU Associate Vice-President and Director of Athletics Sean T. Frazier. "The Mallory Cup honors a man whose impact on both programs should and will be remembered each time our teams meet on the football field. We're happy to work with our colleagues at Miami on this initiative and invite all fans to be here at Huskie Stadium on November 14 for the first Mallory Cup game."
The RedHawks will honor Mallory and former head coach Carmen "Carm" Cozza this season with a helmet decal. Cozza passed away back in January at the age of 87. Both will also be honored with moments of silence at home games this season.
Mallory is a member of both the Miami and NIU Halls of Fame and has also been inducted into the MAC Hall of Fame.
