LaKale Malone - Women's Basketball Coach

LaKale Malone

Title:
Assistant Coach
Phone:
(417) 836-4136

LaKale Malone was hired as an assistant coach on the Missouri State women’s basketball staff in May 2026. She adds over 20 years of collegiate coaching experience, and throughout her career Malone has coached 29 all-conference players, has helped sign 10 McDonald’s All-Americans and has helped construct eight top 25 recruiting classes. She also has 19 former players in the professional ranks.

Malone made her way to Springfield most recently from Pitt, where she spent the 2023-24 season as an assistant coach and offensive coordinator. While there, she was in charge of creating the strategic game plan, recruiting and working with agents.

Prior to Pitt, she was an assistant coach and served as the director of player development at Indiana State (2021-23).

Malone spent the majority of her career at Illinois (2012-20) and Texas (2007-12). At Illinois, she held titles of assistant coach and recruiting coordinator before being promoted to associate head coach beginning in 2015. She assisted in signing the Fighting Illini’s first McDonald’s All-American, coached six All-Big Ten Team members and a Kodak All-American and helped secure consecutive top 25 recruiting classes.

An assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Texas, Malone was part of a staff that led the Longhorns to five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, signed four McDonald’s All-Americans and owned top 25 recruiting classes in all five of those seasons. She also mentored eight All-Big 12 honorees and 11 Academic All-Big 12 members.

Before her time in Austin, Malone was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Nebraska (2003-07). She spearheaded the signing of a top 25 recruiting class in 2007 and helped develop 2010 first team All-American and first-round WNBA draft pick Kelsey Griffin. The Huskers advanced to the postseason all four years she was on staff.

She also served as an assistant at Bradley (2001-03) and Wagner College (2000-01).

Malone graduated from Indiana in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting & Marketing, and then earned her master’s degree in Educational Administration from Nebraska in 2007.