"I am very excited about the opportunity to the be the head coach at UW-La Crosse," says Malecek. "Joe Baker (UW-L Athletic Director) and the administration have been very supportive throughout the process. I am eager to meet with the team and coaching staff and get everyone on the same page and start working towards our goals."
Malecek had served as the head assistant coach at Wartburg College (Iowa) since 2000, helping lead the Knights to three National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships (2003, 2004, 2006). He was selected the NCAA Division III Assistant Coach of the Year in 2006. Wartburg also won Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) titles every season since his arrival on campus. The Knights had 11 national champions and 47 All-America selections since Malecek begin coaching in 2000.
Malecek was also Wartburg's Wrestling Recruiting Coordinator, Summer Wrestling Camp Director and handled the upper weight classes for the Knights.
A four-time NCAA Division I qualifier at Northern Iowa University (1991-94), Malecek earned All-America accolades in 1994 with a fourth-place finish at 177-pounds. He served as the Panthers' team captain in 1993 and 1994 and ranks seventh in career victories at Northern Iowa. Malecek earned his bachelor's (1994) and master's (2005) degrees from Northern Iowa.
He was a participant in the United States' Olympic Wrestling Trials in 1992 and 1996. Malecek was also a two-time state champion at Osage (Iowa) High School.
Malecek spent two years as head coach at Xavier High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he recorded 31 dual victories. Xavier also had 10 state qualifiers and one state champion under Malecek's guidance.
Along with his coaching responsibilities at Wartburg, Malecek has served as an instructor in the physical education department since 2001. He has also taught at Wright Elementary School in Cedar Rapids (1997-2000) and in the Aurelia, Iowa Schools (1994-96).
UW-L finished second at the 2006 NCAA Division III Championships, tied for the best finish in school history. The Eagles also won their ninth straight Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) title in 2006.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now