Robert "Ace" Mallonee enters his second season as the Assistant Men's Lacrosse Coach.
During the 2024 season, Ace assisted the Hawks to a 1-11 overall record and a 0-7 record in league play. He picked up his first win at Chowan against VSU, where the Hawks won 13-8. The blue and white completed 19 of their 23 clear attempts that game and dominated the ground, securing 41 ground balls to Virginia State's 22. Additionally, the Hawks won 15 faceoffs. At the end of the 2024 season, the Hawks placed 20 players on the Conference Carolinas Presidential Spring Honor Roll.
Chowan University's men's lacrosse coach, P.R. Simshauser, announced in September 2024 that Ace Mallonee would be joining the staff as the new Assistant Men's Lacrosse Coach. Ace brings a rich background in coaching and program development. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management from Guilford College, which laid the foundation for his successful career in lacrosse.
Ace got his start coaching at the collegiate level at Kalamazoo College in Michigan as he was the Assistant Men's Lacrosse Coach from 2014 until 2016. During the fall 2015 season, Mallonee was also named the Interim Head Women's Lacrosse Coach for the Hornets and then spent the spring 2016 season also serving as the Assistant Coach for the women's program along with his duties for the men's program. Before joining the collegiate coaching ranks, Mallonee coached lacrosse for Park School and Sandy Spring Varsity in Maryland. For one season, Mallonee spent time in Buckinghamshire, England serving as the head coach of the Stowe U18 team.
From 2016 to 2019, Mallonee served as the Assistant Men's Lacrosse Coach at Alderson Broaddus University, where he was instrumental in recruiting talented student-athletes, overseeing the defensive side of the field, and designing practice plans. While at ABU, his responsibilities extended to managing team weight room sessions and assisting in shaping the team's overall game strategy.
In 2019, Ace was named the Head Men's Lacrosse Coach at Alderson Broaddus University. In 2022 he was elevated to the Director of Lacrosse for the ABU Athletic Department, where he oversaw all aspects of the lacrosse program. Over the next four years, he excelled in this leadership role, overseeing both offensive and defensive strategies, organizing fundraising initiatives, and continuing his role in recruitment. Under his guidance, the lacrosse program saw significant growth.
Following his stint at ABU, Ace joined Capital University as an assistant coach for the men's lacrosse program. In this role he focused on defensive coaching, weight room sessions, practice plans, and individual player development. His contributions were pivotal in achieving a Top 15 ranking for the Man Down Unit in the NCAA Division III rankings.
