PITTSBURGH – Pitt women's basketball head coach Tory Verdi announced the addition of LaKale Malone as assistant coach Wednesday morning. Malone brings over 20 years of collegiate coaching experience to Pittsburgh including multiple stops at Power 5 programs across her impressive career.
 
"LaKale is one of the most experienced coaches out there," stated Verdi. "She brings so much knowledge to our program. She will primarily work with the guards and assist with all aspects of our program. She's one of a kind when it comes to skill development and our players will be fortunate to work with her."
 
Malone will be primarily working with the Pitt guards as she joins Candice Finley and Ty Margenthaler to round out Verdi's coaching staff.
 
She comes to Pittsburgh after spending the past two seasons at Indiana State where she was an assistant coach and director of player development for the Sycamores. Malone helped guard Bella Finnegan earn Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman Team honors after posting 8.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists. In conference play, Finnegan's numbers jumped to 10.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Del'Janae Williams' growth continued in season two under Malone's watch as she averaged a team-high 13.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists while connecting on a career-high 61 three-pointers.

Malone's first season at Indiana State saw Natalia Lalic develop into one of the top 3-point shooters in the MVC, knocking down more than 33 percent of her attempts from behind the arc. Marie Hunter increased her scoring output for the third straight year under Malone's watch, including a career-high 23-point game to help the Sycamores defeat Evansville in the MVC Tournament. Hunter's 3-point shot also improved over the final stretches of the season, as she shot 50 percent from long range over the course of the final month. Williams had a breakout season in her first season working with Malone as she earned Honorable Mention All-MVC and MVC All-Defensive Team honors after averaging 12.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a team-high 2.0 steals across 31 games.

Malone comes to Indiana State after an eight-year stint at the University of Illinois from 2012-2020, serving as the associate head coach for the final five.

While at Illinois, Malone's recruiting efforts helped guide the Illini to back-to-back top-25 recruiting classes and earned earn their best season record since 2007 in 2012-13, as the team went on to reach the quarterfinals of the Women's NIT. Malone has reached the postseason in 10 of her 20 years as a college coach.
In her first season with the program, Malone helped guide the Illini to a fifth-place national ranking in steals per game (12.6) in 2012-13, breaking Big Ten records for steals in all games (417) and conference games (234). Illinois also broke school records for three-pointers made (184) and turnovers forced (773). The Orange and Blue finished tied for fifth in the Big Ten, their best finish in six years, and posted their first winning conference record in 10 years with a 9-7 mark in Big Ten play.

Illini players have continued to break into the record books under Malone's direction as she mentored a young group of Illini players during the 2013-14 season, helping them finish eighth in the nation in steals (11.0 per game) and 13th in turnover margin (+5.2 per game). Illinois also broke the school record for three-pointers made (202) for the second-straight season.

With Malone's coaching, The Illini got off to one of the best starts that the Orange and Blue have seen in 12 years as the team went 5-0 to start the 2014-15 season and topped ninth-ranked Kentucky in the non-conference portion of the year. Malone's recruiting talents were put on display as freshman Chatrice White made a major impact for the Illini on the floor. White broke the Illinois all-time freshman scoring and blocked shots records on her way to Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors. 

The 2015-16 season saw Malone continue to guide a young squad as she helped to mold five newcomers into significant contributing roles on the squad. Malone worked with freshman Cierra Rice who started the year by playing a key role in the Illini starting lineup. Rice was named Big Ten Player of the Week twice for her efforts on the court before being sidelined by a knee injury before the conference slate. With Malone's guidance, the Illini continued to be one of the top three-point shooting teams in the nation, led by senior Kyley Simmons who knocked down 77 of Illinois' school-record 224 three-pointers made. That number also marks the fourth consecutive season that the Orange and Blue have reset the school's season three-pointers record. 

Malone continued to shape a youthful squad throughout the 2016-17 campaign, working with freshman guards Brandi Beasley and Petra Holešínska who were among freshman scoring leaders in the Big Ten. With Malone's guidance Beasley averaged 3.9 assists per game to lead Illinois, and she became one of just four freshmen in Illinois history to record more than 100 assists in their rookie campaign. Led by Beasley and Holešínska, the Illini freshman class contributed more than 58-percent of the squad's scoring on the season. Malone helped to guide Illinois to two of the biggest conference wins in program history as the Orange and Blue posted a 37-point victory over Rutgers, followed by a 20-point win over Nebraska. The wins mark the first time since the 2006-07 campaign that an Illini squad has earned two conference victories by a margin of 20 or more points in the same year.

Malone's efforts continued to pay off in the 2017-18 season as Beasley once again was among Illini and Big Ten scoring leaders. With Malone's guidance, Beasley dished a team-leading 111 assists, a number that also ranked among the top 15 in the Big Ten. Malone helped lead Illinois to a 9-5 nonconference record, which marked the best start to the season since Illinois also earned nine non-conference victories in the 2014-15 campaign (9-3). Illinois won four of its last five games leading up to league play, with the streak marking the most consecutive victories for the Orange and Blue since the start of the 2015-16 season. 

With Malone's guidance, Beasley continued to serve as an important contributor on the Illini squad throughout the 2018-19 campaign. Averaging 4.9 dimes per game, Beasley finished among the top five in the Big Ten in that category, and she also became the 30th Illini to score 1,000 career points. With Malone's assistance, 2018-19 Illini squad opened the season with a 7-0 record on Lou Henson Court for the first time since the 2006-07 season. Additionally, Illinois' 8-3 record in nonconference play, a .727 nonconference winning percentage, marks is the highest for an Illini squad since starting the 2014-15 campaign with a 9-5 nonconference record (.750). 

Prior to joining the staff at Illinois, Malone played a big role in signing multiple top-25 classes under head coach Gail Goestenkors at Texas, including four McDonald's All-Americans. The Longhorns advanced to the NCAA tournament in all five seasons Malone was an assistant and produced eight All-Big 12 and 11 Academic All-Big 12 honorees. She helped recruit WNBA draft pick Brittainey Raven and signed 2012 Wade Trophy Watch List honoree, Chassidy Fussell.

Before her time in Austin, Malone was an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator for Connie Yori at the University of Nebraska from 2003-07, helping build that program to a national level. 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.

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

A four-year letterwinner at Indiana University, Malone graduated in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in accounting and marketing. She also holds a master's degree in educational administration from the University of Nebraska.

 
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