Softball: Malveaux promoted to assistant coach

Brady Aymond • baymond@theadvertiser.com • June 24, 2009

Things are going great these days for UL softball coach Chris Malveaux.

He was recently promoted from volunteer assistant to a full-time assistant at UL, his summer softball team is playing well and the new Transformers movie is coming out today.

And it’s pretty hard to tell which one Malveaux is most excited about.

"That’s a tough one," Malveaux joked. "I want to go see (Transformers) really bad, but I have to wait until this weekend."

Seriously, though, Malveaux was pretty fired up when coaches Mike and Stefni Lotief offered the full-time assistant spot left open when Joy Webre became the St. Thomas More head coach last week.

"It’s good to know that people that you work for has that type of confidence in you," Malveaux said. "Before, I kind of looked at the volunteer title as only a title. You just go out there and do what you are supposed to do.

"Being an actual assistant, it’s not like I’m going to have to go through a transition. But the security does help take a little bit off the shoulders and allow you to relax a little bit more."

Malveaux served as the volunteer assistant this past season after leaving McNeese in 2008.

Prior to coming to UL, Malveaux was the head coach at McNeese from 2005-08.

He led the Cowgirls to the NCAA Tournament in his first season, only the second time in school history McNeese made the NCAA Tournament.

His 2005 McNeese team set the school record for homers with 60 and his 2007 and 2008 teams led the Southland Conference in stolen bases.

Malveaux is a Houston native and graduated from Texas A&M in 2001. While at A&M, he served as student manager for head coach Jo Evans and coached summer softball in College Station.

"I had a blast," Malveaux said of his first season with the Cajuns. "The fans are so much fun, and working with Mike and Stef and Joy and the kids, it made it pretty easy to feel like home right away.

"Even though I was at McNeese, there was no awkwardness. I never felt like it wouldn’t be the right place. Everybody was pretty welcoming. I wish we would have done a little better at the end, but I look forward to next year."

UL coach Michael Lotief said the staff’s longstanding relationship with Malveaux helped make his transition from McNeese to UL a seamless one.

"I think you can’t overlook the fact that the chemistry of a coaching staff is important," Lotief said. "The coaches have to get along. There has to be a trust, there has to be a common vision. All of us have egos, you have to be able to work well with each other and you have to like each other. You have to get along. You have to share some common philosophy and common values. Chris has been a friend for eight years, he’s believed and committed to the same philosophies we have.

"He understands how hard it is to win a conference championship, much less go to the World Series. Both of the times we were at the World Series, he was there both times, not only as a fan, but to go through the experience also. I think he understands and realizes and respects the fact that it’s hard to do. And the fact hta twe’ve done it and we’ve done it twice. He’s seen up close and personal how we’ve done it. I think that gives you a respect for the process and how hard it is to do."

Malveaux’s experience of running a college softball program is invaluable, according to Lotief.

"He knows the ins and outs of what it takes to run a program," Lotief said. "And that goes from things people never think about – travel budgets, recruiting, compliance, scheduling. Besides his Xs and Os, he knows all that stuff that goes on behind the scenes. Then you start talking Xs and Os, he’s done all aspects of softball from infield to outfield to slapping to calling the pitching."

Webre called pitches for the Cajuns staff and Lotief said that has been the biggest question posed to him since Webre left to take the position at STM.

"Everybody keeps asking that question, who’s going to call the pitches?," Lotief said. "Coach Stef was actually a two-time All-American pitcher. I’ve called pitches for five years and Chris called pitches for four years. We have a senior catcher and three veteran pitchers. I think we’ll figure it out."