News

Michelle Malone Named Girls Basketball Coach

After a thorough review of over 20 applications and interviews with three finalists, we are very excited to introduce you to our new girls basketball coach, Michelle Malone.

Michelle Malone comes to Harding Academy after spending the past year as a College Counselor at Freedom Preparatory Academy High School in Memphis, TN. Prior to that stint, Michelle served as a Program Assistant Lead at The College Initiative for almost three years. Throughout the last two years, Michelle has led the middle school girls 8th grade program and a year of spring small group workouts at Harding Academy.

Michelle graduated magna cum laude from Southwest Tennessee Community College in 2007 and completed her bachelors degree at Christian Brothers University in December of 2010. During those years, she served as captain of the basketball team and earned several acknowledgements for academic and athletic achievement. She began her coaching career during spring of 2010 as a coach for the Tennessee Glory. The summer of 2011, she led the 14U team to a third place national finish in AAU (Orlando, Florida). The following three years she guided several teams to tournament wins in local, regional, and national championships. Her role as a mother would eventually lead her to connect with Memphis Future Stars girls basketball program, operated by Helen Darling and Cassandra Price, to assist with elementary and middle school girls teams for the next five years.

Michelle has always had a strong desire to stay integrated with the game and has served as an official on the local, high school, and collegiate level the past eight years. This summer, Michelle assisted Coach Steven Mizell and Alex Black with team camps and workouts. Michelle enjoys teaching the fundamentals of basketball while pursuing the greater goal of leading young ladies to Christ.

Michelle says, “I am elated to continue the great work of the Lady Lions and hope to create life-long memories on and off the court as we continue to pursue a culture of excellence.”

Michelle is the mother of one daughter, Makyah Nycole, a ninth grader at Harding Academy. She resides in midtown Memphis and enjoys serving and worshiping at The Life Church Memphis, caring for her elderly great-aunt, and spending time with family and friends around the city. Michelle is a part of several local organizations and plans to use her servant leadership and athletic experiences to benefit the Harding community.

Click here for John Varlas’s article in The Daily Memphian.