John Maloney joined the Great Dane coaching staff in 2018 and currently serves as the team's assistant coach and defensive coordinator.
The 2024 season was an incredible season overall for the Great Danes. Highlights included winning the America East Championship as the No. 1 seed. The team advanced to the NCAA Tournament, winning its Play In game vs Sacred Heart, 13-7, and put forth a valiant effort against top-seeded Notre Dame where they took a 5-4 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Under Maloney’s coaching, UAlbany’s Jake Piseno had one of the greatest single seasons of a defenseman in NCAA history. Earning First Team All-Conference honors, Defensive Player of the Year honors, First Team All-American honors, and winning the prestigious William C. Schmeisser Award, given to the best defenseman in all of the NCAA. Along with Piseno, Conner Fingar was awarded First Team All-Conference as a short stick defensive midfielder, and Will Pepe Second Team All-Conference long stick midfielder.
Piseno held many accolades during the 2022 and 2023 seasons as well, including earning his second Preseason All-America honor, this time landing on Inside Lacrosse's Second Team. Piseno previously earned a Second Team Preseason All-America honor from USA Lacrosse, USILA All-American Honorable Mention, All-Conference First Team, and America East Defensive Player of the Year. He also held national rankings for caused turnovers per game. Another Great Dane star defender, Elijah Gash, ranked 7th in the America East in caused turnovers per game and was selected to the America East All-Conference Second Team, and was drafted 30th overall to the PLL’s Whipsnakes LC.
After a 2020 season that was cut short, the Great Danes returned to the America East championship in 2021 as the No.4 seed. The team boasted a 5-1 record at home, highlighted by two wins over ranked teams – a 13-12 victory over No. 13 UMass and a 14-9 win over No. 18 UMBC. Steven Kunz was a leader amongst his teammates and was recognized as America East Second Team All-Conference. Teammate Michael Kozar was named First Team All-Conference. Kozar was also selected for the All-Academic Team and was named 2021 America East Elite 18 Award recipient
John Maloney returned to the University at Albany as an assistant coach in the summer of 2018 after coaching lacrosse at St John Fisher College (2017) and Skidmore College (2016). A former Great Dane midfielder, Maloney helped lead UAlbany to three America East titles in four years, while making it to the NCAA tournament in all Four years - twice making it to the NCAA Quarterfinals. As a senior, he was named USILA Honorable Mention All-American at midfield and earned accolades as America East All-Conference Second Team midfielder two straight seasons. He finished his collegiate career with 76 goals, 45 assists and 127 ground balls.
Maloney also received the prestigious SUNY Scholar Athlete Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence in 2015, given to those who display excellence in athletics, academics, leadership, campus involvement, community service, or the arts. It is the highest honor bestowed upon a student at a SUNY University.
He also was a member of the America East All-Academic Team for three straight years.
Maloney was drafted 22nd overall by the Chesapeake Bayhawks in the first round of the 2016 MLL draft and played with them for three seasons. In his first season, Maloney was awarded Cascade Rookie of the Week honors and also was nominated for Rookie of the Year.
Maloney earned his undergraduate degree in Human Biology in 2016. He is a native of Victor, N.Y.
