The Bellwood-Antis football team has seen alumni as coaches before. As a matter of fact, all of the Blue Devils' football coaches except Coach Mike McNelis and Rick Schreier are alumni.
Toward the middle of the summer Coach Rick Kensinger decided to step down. Alumni Zach Mallon heard of this and took advantage of the position. Mallon said, "I knew I was going to be in the area for at least a few years, so I had planned on asking coach Lovrich to help with the team on some level. Then a coaching position came open when Coach K left, and I thought that was the perfect opportunity considering I would coach the positions I played in high school."
Mallon played WR/DB/RB in high school where he recorded 1145 yards on 128 carries. This was all just in eight games of his senior year. When asking Coach Mallon how it felt to coach the team he used to play for, he said, "I think it definitely means more, supporting the community that I grew up in. It also helps that I have umpired for most of these kids, so I know most of them."
Mallon also has the privilege of coaching his future brother-in-law too, Senior LB/RB Alex McCartney. When asked about how he felt coaching him Mallon said, "I think it definitely means more, supporting the community that I grew up in. It also helps that I have umpired for most of these kids, so I know most of them." Mallon and McCartney's sister, Caitlyn, have been together for almost ten years now. They got engaged in 2024 and plan on getting married sometime in July of 2027.
Mallon has experience with football outside of Bellwood too. After high school Mallon attended the University of Pittsburgh. Here he would help the football team by being a manager. Then in his senior year of college, he would be Pat Narduzzi's number one manager and even got to drive his car at times. Going from the D1 FBS level of football to high school football is obviously a huge difference. When asked what it's like coming from D1 FBS to high school Mallon said, "It was definitely an adjustment at first. The speed and intensity level are a lot different, but at the high school level kids are much more likely to listen and are more adaptable to change."
Overall, it seems the players like and enjoy coach Mallon’s criticizing. Senior Jeffery Waite who's a WR/DB said, "I like Mallon a lot. He really helps us out with very small details that make the biggest difference. All the things he corrects and fixes I never knew before."