Remembering Coach George B. Maloof “I was thinking about what you can teach your boys…what language you can use…When I saw you and your team win the first game, all the magic of sport came to me silver voiced, like whistles. There are no words to describe how beautiful you looked delivering urgent messages to quarterbacks, signaling for time outs, pacing the green, unnaturally lit sidelines, loved…for your unimaginable love of play, for the soft gauzy immensity of your love for all the boys and all the games of the world. Teach them this…and teach them very well: teach them the quiet verbs of kindness, to live beyond themselves. Urge them toward excellence, drive them to gentleness, pull them deep into yourself, pull them upwards to manhood, but softly like an angel arranging clouds. Let your spirit move through them softly… I cried last night when I heard your voice above the crowd. I heard you cheering for the clumsy tackle, the slow-footed back, music of your sweet praise. But my brother, the lion, all golden and hurt: teach them what you know the best. There is no poem, no letter that can pass your one ineffable gift to boys. I want them to take from you the knowledge of how to be the gentlest, the most perfect brother.” The Prince of Tides Pat Conroy
George B. Maloof, legendary football coach and player, passed away on October 4, 2009 at the age of 79. Maloof was the head football coach at <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Pius</strong> X <strong>Catholic</strong> <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> for 26 years, as well as a star football player at The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and the Marist <strong>School</strong>. Awarded the Papal Medal, Benemerenti, for his achievement in education, he was the first lay member of the faculty at <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Pius</strong> X when the school opened in 1958, and the stadium now bears his name. Current Principal <strong>St</strong>eve Spellman commented on the many contributions made by Maloof, saying, “The success and reputation <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Pius</strong> X enjoys today is deeply rooted in the contributions made by George Maloof during his time here. The number of lives he touched then and continues to touch now is astounding. His motto, urging every person to do their best with their God-given abilities, not only carried him to a long list of life-time accomplishments, but it continues to take this institution to new levels of excellence in all phases of operation.” Maloof was best known as the football coach at <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Pius</strong> X from 1958-83, where he also served as a math and mechanical drawing teacher, athletic director, assistant to the principal, and head of boys’ discipline. His teams combined for a 168-85-12 record in his tenure as head coach, and <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Pius</strong> X became the first <strong>Catholic</strong> school to win the <strong>St</strong>ate Championship in 1968 under his watch. Twice named Georgia Class AA Coach of the Year, Maloof was also honored by the Atlanta Touchdown Club as one of the inaugural Legends of the Game in 2003. Maloof was much more than just a coach and teacher at <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Pius</strong> X. According to current Athletic Director Mark Kelly, “Coach Maloof’s record speaks for itself. The most remarkable thing to me, however, is the effect he had on every young man who ever played for him. There is not one of us who does not think of him often. We often ask ourselves, ’What would Coach Maloof do?’ And there is not one of us who does not hear his voice saying “Be the best you can be, with the ability that God gave you.’ That is what he did. His greatest teaching tool was his life.” Born January 4, 1930 at the old Piedmont Hospital, George Bernard Maloof met success at every step along his fabled career at Marist <strong>School</strong>, Georgia Tech, and the U.S. Air Force in addition to his time at <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Pius</strong> X. Raised in the Grant Park area of Atlanta, Maloof attended Immaculate Conception Elementary <strong>School</strong> before matriculating to Marist <strong>School</strong>, then an all-boys’ military school located on Ivy <strong>St</strong>reet. In his time at Marist, Maloof served as Class President for the freshman, sophomore, junior and senior classes. He also served as military editor and sports editor of The Blue and Gold, Marist’s weekly newspaper. Maloof attained the rank of colonel, which was the highest ranking officer in the Cadet Corps, and was twice named the Corps’ outstanding cadet. During his storied prep career, Maloof lettered four years in football, during which he was named to All-<strong>St</strong>ate, All-Southern and All-American teams. He lettered four seasons in baseball being named to the All-Greater Atlanta and All-<strong>St</strong>ate teams, as well as earning two letters in basketball. Maloof was also the Most Outstanding Player of the North team in the Georgia <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> All-<strong>St</strong>ar Football game, while being named the Most Outstanding Lineman in Georgia by the Atlanta Touchdown Club. From Marist, Maloof continued his stellar playing career at Georgia Tech as a three-year football and baseball letter winner. In his years at the North Avenue institution, Maloof was named to the All-SEC Football and Baseball teams while helping the gridiron Jackets to an undefeated season in 1951. That season was highlighted by a 48-6 trouncing of arch-rival, University of Georgia, when Maloof rushed for four touchdowns, a record that still stands almost sixty years later. After graduating from Georgia Tech in 1952, Maloof was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U. S. Air Force. During his time in the service, he was picked to play on the Fort Bragg All-<strong>St</strong>ar football team, and was chosen as the most valuable player in the 9th Air Force. He also served as the Head Coach of the Pope Air Force baseball team in 1953-54. Upon his return to Atlanta, he joined the football coaching staff at his prep alma mater, Marist. Two years later he was named head coach at the new <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Pius</strong> X <strong>Catholic</strong> <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong>. In addition to his football coaching duties, Maloof also served as basketball and baseball coach for eight years. During the decade of the 1960s, <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Pius</strong> X became a football juggernaut, posting an 82-18-7 record. Maloof’s teams were noted for their defense as the Golden Lions recorded 43 shutouts, and allowed less than 6 points per game. In addition to the AA <strong>St</strong>ate Championship in 1968, the 1965 team finished as AA <strong>St</strong>ate Runners-Up. Maloof was selected to coach the 1968 North Team in the Georgia <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> All-<strong>St</strong>ar Football Game, and earned his two Georgia Coach of the Year accolades during the decade. Current <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Pius</strong> X head coach Paul <strong>St</strong>andard talked about the legacy that Maloof helped to create. “Coach Maloof was an inspiration for the entire <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Pius</strong> X Community—he is <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Pius</strong> X. Our school is what it is today because of the vision, dedication and love that Coach Maloof had for <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Pius</strong> X. He will always be the <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Pius</strong> football coach. I am just the caretaker of this job, as will be the person that comes after me.” Overall, in his 26 years, Maloof won 79 of his 168 games with shutouts and has produced six head football coaches from among his former players, including: his sons, Kevin and Keith, current <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Pius</strong> X head coach, Paul <strong>St</strong>andard, as well as Bob Mangan, Ed Dudley and John Alexander. The field at <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Pius</strong> X was named in his honor in 1995, and the stadium was re-named George B. Maloof <strong>St</strong>adium in 2004. He was inducted into the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in June of 2009. 5
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