CElEbRAtiNG LEGAciES - St. Pius X Catholic High School

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 St.
Pius X Catholic High School for 26 years, as well as a star football player at
The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and the Marist School.
Awarded the Papal Medal, Benemerenti, for his achievement in education,
he was the first lay member of the faculty at St. Pius X when the school
opened in 1958, and the stadium now bears his name.
Current Principal Steve Spellman commented on the many contributions
made by Maloof, saying, “The success and reputation St. Pius 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 St. Pius 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 St. Pius
X became the first Catholic school to win the State 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 St. Pius 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 School, Georgia
Tech, and the U.S. Air Force in addition to his time at St. Pius X. Raised
in the Grant Park area of Atlanta, Maloof attended Immaculate Conception
Elementary School before matriculating to Marist School, then an all-boys’
military school located on Ivy Street.
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-State, All-Southern and All-American teams.
He lettered four seasons in baseball being named to the All-Greater Atlanta
and All-State teams, as well as earning two letters in basketball. Maloof was
also the Most Outstanding Player of the North team in the Georgia High
School All-Star 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-Star 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
St. Pius X Catholic High School. In addition to his football coaching duties,
Maloof also served as basketball and baseball coach for eight years.
During the decade of the 1960s, St. Pius 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 State Championship in 1968, the 1965 team
finished as AA State Runners-Up. Maloof was selected to coach the 1968
North Team in the Georgia High School All-Star Football Game, and earned
his two Georgia Coach of the Year accolades during the decade.
Current St. Pius X head coach Paul Standard talked about the legacy that
Maloof helped to create. “Coach Maloof was an inspiration for the entire St.
Pius X Community—he is St. Pius X. Our school is what it is today because
of the vision, dedication and love that Coach Maloof had for St. Pius X. He
will always be the St. Pius 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 St. Pius X head coach, Paul
Standard, as well as Bob Mangan, Ed Dudley and John Alexander. The field
at St. Pius X was named in his honor in 1995, and the stadium was re-named
George B. Maloof Stadium in 2004. He was inducted into the Georgia Athletic
Coaches Association Hall of Fame in June of 2009.
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